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UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 



Bureau of Research in Education 



Study No. 1 



MEASURING CLASSROOM PRODUCTS 
IN BERKELEY 

Sections 1 and 2 



Directed by 

CYRUS D. MEAD 

Associate Professor of Elementary Education 



MAY 1, 1921 
PRICE SO CENTS 



UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 



MEASURING CLASSROOM PRODUCTS 
IN BERKELEY 

Study Number 1 
of the Bureau of Research in Education 

In two Sections — Section I 



Ttu^Ji 



DECEMBER 1, 1920 



UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS 
BERKELEY 






y&* 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS \ 

RECEIVED 

S^P 261922 j 

DOCUMENTS D!V .£< r { 



MEASURING CLASSROOM PRODUCTS 
IN BERKELEY 



Cyrus D. Mead 

Associate Professor of Elementary Education 

University of California 

Assisted by Educational Measurements Seminar : 
Jeanette Barrows, Alex. S. Boulware, Bert B. Davis, William F. Ewing, 
Harry H. Glessner, A. J. Hamilton, Geo. C. Kyte, Norma E. LeVeque, 
Louis P. Linn, Anna O'Bannon, Mary B. O'Bannon, Clara M. Partridge. 



Foreword and Introduction 

by 

H. B. Wilson 

Superintendent of Schools 



CONTENTS 



Foreword and Introduction by Superintendent Wilson 5 

Request for the Survey 5 

Letter of Transmittal 7 

Section I 

Chapter 1. — Report of the Seminar Committee on Writing 10 

Directions for Giving the Handwriting Tests 10 

Oral Instructions Concerning 11 

Scoring the Papers 11 

Uniformity of Judgments as to Quality 12 

Tabulation of Results 13 

Interpretation of Data 17 

Comparison of Schools 23 

Bibliography 33 

Chapter 2. — Report of the Seminar Committee on Spelling 34 

Material for the Test and Plan of Giving 34 

Instructions for Giving 34 

Oral Instructions 35 

Tabulation of Results 35 

Factors to be Considered in Interpretation of Results 37 

Interpretation of Results 40 

Recommendations for Teaching Spelling 42 



FOREWORD AND INTRODUCTION 

Any program of administration or management which is concerned 
with securing efficient results with justifiable economy must be based 
upon reliable facts. This is quite as true in the fields of finance and 
industry as in educational institutions. Every up to date, progressive 
business institution has its Department of Efficiency, to which it looks 
for scientific evaluation of its efforts. Upon the basis of these findings 
it modifies its programs of operation and procedure from time to time. 

Realizing the need of definite information as to what was being ac- 
complished in the public schools of Berkeley, and being without a 
Department of Research at that time, I sought the cooperation of the 
Department of Education at the University of California. I found 
Dean Alexis F. Lange and his associates in the department immediately 
interested to render service and to avail themselves of the laboratory 
opportunity thus provided. Accordingly, following two or three con- 
ferences, I was able to report to the Board of Education at the regular 
meeting of October 1, 1918, that tentative arrangements had been made 
with the faculty of the Education Department of the University of 
California for the direction by Dr. Cyrus D. Mead, Associate Professor 
of Elementary Education, of available graduate students in such 
research work in the public schools of Berkeley as would enable the 
determinati'on of the results which were being secured in the public 
schools in the various grades and in the various subjects which might be 
investigated. The board readily approved the arrangements made by 
the superintendent, and empowered him to act fully in the matter and 
to print the results of the study for distribution when they were com- 
pleted. 

The results -of this cooperative arrangement have been very satis- 
factory, indeed, as the published results in the following pages show. 
Scientific studies were conducted to determine the results which were 
being secured in Writing, Spelling, Reading, the Fundamentals of 
Arithmetic, and Reasoning Ability in Arithmetic. Before the second 
section is ready for publication, it is hoped that it may be possible to 
add an appendix dealing briefly with the results which are being secured 
in Composition and Geography. 

The value to a school system of such an investigation as this is 
perhaps three-fold. It is an immediate help to the teacher in diagnosing 
the difficulties and problems which are confronting her and in enabling 



her to find ways and means of solving the same. Second, it provides 
certain valuable training facilities for these teachers who wish to famil- 
iarize themselves with the technique of scientific investigation. Third, 
it provides accurate, reliable data gathered by scientific methods for 
the use of the administrative and supervisor force in enabling them to 
study conditions throughout the system and to make comparisons with 
other systems. It constitutes the necessary basis for readjusting the 
emphasis that should be given to different topics and subjects, and for 
modifying and improving the teaching technique in the interest of better 
results. 

For the service rendered the public schools through this cooperative 
effort, we are genuinely thankful to the Department of Education of 
the University of California. It is believed that the publication of 
these results is desirable not only because of their value to the public 
schools of Berkeley, but because the methods used and the results in- 
dicated will be of interest and service to others. 

H. B. Wilson, 

Superintendent of Schools, 

Berkeley, California. 



DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

University of California 

Berkeley, California 

Letter of Transmittal 

Dr. H. B. Wilson, 

Superintendent of Schools, M 28 lqlq 

Berkeley, California. 

My Dear Dr. Wilson: 

In pursuance with your request in September 1918, the members of 
my Seminar in The Measurement of Elementary School Work under- 
took as a project a survey of the Berkeley Schools, such survey on their 
part to include the application of standard tests to the subject matter 
of the elementary field. The class of men and women in Education 
gladly accepted this work with the resolution that the teachers of the 
system as a whole should become an integral part and assist in such 
survey and that, whatever the findings, there should be included in the 
report constructive helps and suggestions for the further improvement 
of teaching in our city schools. We were extremely fortunate in having, 
as well as graduate students in Education, a number of your progressive 
principals and teachers. It has given me much pleasure, with no little 
pride, to watch the growing interest and enthusiasm of this seminar 
group. They have applied themselves to the work with a zeal and pro- 
fessional spirit which I wish to commend to you. The extension of the 
class period from two to three hours weekly was but a trifle to the ad- 
ditional hours of work put in throughout the school year. They have 
done a most careful and thorough piece of work. 

It was decided to measure the school products from the second or 
third grades to the eighth or ninth inclusive in handwriting, spelling, 
reading, the fundamentals of arithmetic and arithmetical reasoning. 1 
The following standard tests were applied or made use of: 

Handwriting — Ayres: Gettysburg Scale. 

Spelling — Ayres : Measuring Scale for Ability in Spelling. 
Reading — Monroe : Standardized Silent Reading Tests. 
Arithmetic — Courtis: Series B Standard Research Tests (Fundamentals). 
Starch: Arithmetical Scale A (Reasoning). 



1 The studies in English Composition and Geography, which are to appear in the 
Appendix of Section II of the report were made by the 1920-21 Educational Measure- 
ments Seminar. 



The method of procedure was to study the scales and tests, their 
derivation, use and applications that had been made. Accompanying 
this the technique of the statistical method was studied and practiced. 
A preliminary meeting was held the week or two preceding the giving 
of each test in which the plan was outlined and the directions carefully 
formulated. These directions were mimeographed by your office force 
and mailed to each principal and teacher. Within the day or two fol- 
lowing, each seminar student appeared at his group of schools, usually 
two, in order to meet the teachers in group and explain in detail the 
giving of the tests. Each test was administered under the direction 
of the seminar representative but was given by the class teacher. In 
most instances the marking of the papers was by the teacher. In all 
cases, however, these gradings were checked and verified by seminar 
groups. This was tedious work but for uniformity and purposes of 
comparison it was found necessary. The teachers were most conscient- 
ious in their markings but in some instances it was found that there were 
variations in judgment even when the form of the answer seemed to be 
explicit. 

Practically every pupil in the system participated. All classes were 
included, there was no selection. This is unusual in that most surveys 
have made random selections of pupils. In all, we measured from five 
to six thousand children in each of the tests. This involved the handling 
of about twenty-five thousand papers. We wish to commend your 
office force for the efficient assistance they rendered and for the excel- 
lent mimeographed forms they supplied for recording our data. 

The entire seminar took part in scoring the handwriting samples 
and in checking and verifying the scores on the various test sheets. 
Particular subjects however were assigned committees to assemble the 
data in tabular and graphic form and to make constructive suggestions. 
The following is a list of committees : 

Handwriting — Alex S. Botjlware, Supervisor of Penmanship, San Francisco 

State Normal School, San Francisco. 
William F. Ewing, Vice Principal, Oakland Technical High 

School, Oakland. 
A. J. Hamilton, Principal, Washington School, Berkeley. 
George C. Kyte, Principal, Emerson School, Berkeley. 

Spelling — Mrs. Clara M. Partridge, Principal, Oxford School, Berkeley. 
Jeannette Barrows, Principal, Hillside School, Berkeley. 
Norma E. Le Veqtje, Graduate Student, Boulder, Colorado. 

Reading — Harry H. Glessner, Principal Edison (Junior High) School, 
Berkeley. 
Bert B. Davis, Normal Director, Walla Walla College, College 
Place, Washington. 
(Mrs. Partridge and Miss Barrows assisting). 



A rithmetic (Fundamentals) — 

Louis P. Linn, Instructor in Educational Extension, University 

of California. 
Mary B. O'Bannon 1 . Principal of Jefferson School, Berkeley. 
Anna O'Bannon, Teacher of Mathematics, McTunley School, 

Berkeley. 

Arithmetic (Reasoning) — 

(Misses Anna and Mary O'Bannon and Miss Barrows). 

The Seminar also wishes to express its appreciation of the help 
rendered by the principals and teachers of the system. It was felt that 
-the professional improvement resulting from the teaching force taking 
a direct hand would more than offset any possible variations in the 
giving of the tests. 

Very truly yours, 

Cyrus D. Mead, 
Associate Professor of Elementary Education, 

University of California. 



CHAPTER I 
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON HANDWRITING 

The first test to be given the children of the Berkeley Schools in the 
present survey was the test in handwriting. In order to determine the 
speed and quality of the handwriting of the children it was necessary 
to obtain samples of a uniform nature produced under conditions as 
nearly uniform as possible. Since the Gettysburg Edition of the Ayres 
Handwriting Scale was to be used as a basis for judging the quality of 
the samples of handwriting, it was deemed wise to use the opening 
sentences of the Gettysburg Speech as the material for the test. 

The following instructions in regard to the test were sent out from 
the Superintendent's office: 



THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 

Berkeley, California 

Bulletin No. 24, 
December 10, 1918. 

Directions for Giving Handwriting Tests 

To Principals and Teachers: 

On Thursday, December 12th, or Friday the 13th, it is desired to 
secure samples of handwriting from all the pupils in grades two to nine 
inclusive. A representative of Dr. Mead's Seminar will come to your 
school on Thursday to assist you in any way. The samples of hand- 
writing should be secured in the following manner : 

Each teacher should write on the board in the front of the room, 
(and the sides also, if desirable), the first three sentences of Lincoln's 
Gettysburg Address. As a preliminary preparation, the pupils should 
read and copy this until they are thoroughly familiar with it and practi- 
cally know it by heart. For the final test, preparations should be 
made so that all the pupils can begin to copy, and stop, at a given signal. 
They should be allowed to write for precisely two minutes. Care 
should be taken with these conditions. It is not likely that any pupil 
will be able to copy the entire three sentences in the two minutes allowed. 
See that the papers for each grade are fastened together. They will 
be scored for both speed and quality. 



11 

The writing should be in ink and on ruled paper. Second or third 
grade pupils may use pencil if not accustomed to ink. Before the test 
begins, have each pupil write his name, grade, name of school and date 
on the reverse side of the paper. The teacher should mark in the upper 
right-hand corner of each the number of letters written by the pupil in 
the two minutes. The following count of letters will aid in scoring the 
papers : 

Fourscore 9 and 12 seven 17 years 22 ago 25 our 28 fathers 35 brought 
42 forth 47 upon 51 this 55 continent 64 a 65 new 68 nation 74 conceived 
83 in 85 liberty 92 and 95 dedicated 104 to 106 the 109 proposition 120 
that 124 all 127 men 130 are 133 created 140 equal 145. 

Now 148 we 150 are 153 engaged 160 in 162 a 163 great 168 civil 
173 war 176 testing 183 whether 190 that 194 nation 200 or 202 any 205 
nation 211 so 213 conceived 222 and 225 so 227 dedicated 236 can 239 
long 243 endure 249. We 251 are 254 met 257 on 259 a 260 great 265 
battlefield 276 of 278 that 282 war 285. 

Kindly follow the above directions slavishly and absolutely, that 
there may be no factor entering into the securing of these writing speci- 
mens which would render the results impossible to use. These will 
reach you Wednesday, the day before the representative from Dr. 
Mead's Seminar expects to visit you. Any question of any character 
or any detail of procedure should be taken up with this representative 

at the time of the visit. Tr , ■ ' 

Very truly, 

H. B. Wilson, 

Superintendent of Schools. 

Oral Instructions Concerning the Test 

Before the test was given members of the Seminar conducting the 
survey met the teachers of the several schools and explained in detail 
the technique of giving the test and handling the papers. Especial 
attention was called to the necessity of measuring accurately the two- 
minute period which was allowed for the test. So far as can be seen 
from the pupils' papers, the test was carried out in every way as planned. 
In many cases children stopped in the middle of a word and often the 
final letters were left unfinished. 

Scoring the Papers 

By far the greatest task in connection with this survey of the Ber- 
keley Schools was the problem of training the members of the Seminar 
in the use of the handwriting scale. Before any of the samples of hand- 
writing written by the Berkeley children could be evaluated for quality 



12 

it was necessary to develop a consistency in the use of the scale which 
would be trustworthy. From the very beginning it was apparent that 
the judgments of the members of the Seminar in regard to quality values 
must be standardized before the actual problem of rating the test samples 
could be undertaken. It was desired that all members of the Seminar 
participate in this activity so that the final judgments of quality should 
be a composite judgment rather than a personal judgment as has been 
the case in most of the surveys of handwriting so far conducted. 

Only a few of the members had previously had any experience with 
work of this character and the results of the first round of practice showed 
a wide range of values assigned to individual papers. This was found 
to be true especially with regard to papers which were in any way 
strikingly different from the samples on the scale. A period of practice 
was, therefore, entered into which extended over some fifteen weeks, 
although but eight actual rounds of practice were found to be necessary. 
A brief statement of the outcome of this period of practice is here given 
since it is believed the findings of the survey in regard to quality of 
handwriting will be better appreciated when it is understood with what 
care these findings were determined. 

Uniformity of Judgments as to Quality 

After the members of the Seminar had practiced rating papers for 
several weeks it became apparent that certain members tended to rate 
high and others low. By careful selection of the rating groups these 
tendencies were so balanced that the composite judgment of the groups 
was consistent and uniform with that of the other rating groups. (There 
were twelve members divided into three groups of four each). The 
results of the last round of practice before the rating of the test papers 
was begun is summarized here to show how near to actual uniformity 
the judgments had become as a result of practice and discussion. 

A set of twenty-five papers ranging in quality from very poor to 
very good was selected for practice. All members of the Seminar rated 
the papers. Composite judgments were determined for the three 
groups into which the Seminar had been divided as previously explained. 
The following table gives the comparison of these composite judgments 
with the true values: 

Group Group Group 

I II III 

Absolute agreement with the true values 12 14 15 

Variation of | step from the true values 11 11 7 

Variation of 1 step from the true values ; 2 3 

25 25 25 



13 

When it is understood that a variation of one-half step from the 
actual value on the scale is considered by competent judges the country 
over to be of little consequence, it can be seen to what degree the 
practice work had been effectual in standardizing the evaluation of 
quality. Out of the seventy-five composite judgments only five were 
as much as one step away from the true value and no values were as- 
signed showing a greater variation than one step. (The "true" value 
for each sample was determined by averaging the judgments of the 
twelve members independently of the rating groups. It is felt that 
these so-called "true values" would not have been changed so much as 
a quarter step had the papers been rated by a much larger group of 
competent judges, hence, there is no hesitancy in accepting them as 
real or true values.) 

When the ability to determine quality of handwriting had been 
brought to a satisfactory standard the rating of the test papers of the 
Berkeley children was undertaken. The papers for each class in each 
school were so divided that a third of them were rated by each of the 
rating groups. The value assigned to each paper was the composite 
judgment of one rating group, but the average rating for the class was, 
after all, a composite of the judgments of the whole seminar. 



Tabulation of Results 

The following tables give the results of the handwriting test with 
regard to both speed and quality. A perusal of these tables, and especial- 
ly of the graphs which accompany them, should prove interesting and 
helpful to all who are concerned with the educational progress of the 
children in the Berkeley schools. For the sake of comparison, certain 
standards of attainment have been placed beside the figures for Ber- 
keley.* The figures for two other school systems have been included 
as a means of comparison — Richmond, California, and St. Louis, Mis- 
souri. 



* The achievement in Berkeley Schools has been made under a prescribed weekly 
minimum time allotment as follows : 



Grade 


Grade 


Grade 


Grade 


Grade 


Grade 


Grade 


Grade 


I 


II 


III 


IV 


V 


VI 


VII 


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Min. per week 95 75 80 80 80 60 



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16 



Table III 



Measures of Central Tendency for the Berkeley Schools 1 
Speed 









Lower 


Upper 


Quartile 


Grade 


Average 


Median 


Quartile 


Quartile 


Range 


2b 


21.47 


20.7 


15.07 


27.00 


11.93 


2a 


25.46 


24.7 


17.9 


32.07 


14.17 


3b 


36.54 


34.3 


26.13 


44.15 


18.02 


3a 


45.12 


43.7 


35 . 20 


53.50 


18.30 


4b 


51.21 


49.2 


40.42 


60.77 


20.35 


4a 


55.95 


54.8 


44.41 


67.19 


22.78 


5b 


59.06 


58.4 


46.07 


70.72 


24.65 


5a 


69.67 


68.9 


58.48 


79.87 


21.39 


6b 


71.10 


71.1 


58.72 


82.32 


23.60 


6a 


77.54 


77.2 


66.80 


87.78 


20.98 


7b 


87.84 


85.5 


73.33 


101.40 


28.07 


7a 


90.86 


88.7 


76.90 


103.33 


26.43 


8b 


96.78 


96.6 


81.27 


110.66 


29.39 


8a 


103.21 


103.3 


87.26 


118.49 


31.23 


9b 


104.15 


102.5 


91.04 


116.21 


25.17 


9a 


110.65 


109.4 


94.50 


127.62 


33.12 



1 Derived from Table I. 



Table IV 

Measures of Central Tendency for the Berkeley Schools 1 

Quality 



Grade 


Average 


Median 


Lower 
Quartile 


Upper 
Quartile 


Quartile 
Range 


2b 


36.27 


38.8 


31.83 


41.72 


9.89 


2a 


37.98 


38.3 


32.94 


42.91 


9.97 


3b 


39.06 


39.0 


32.82 


44.65 


11.83 


3a 


37.83 


37.3 


31.55 


43.57 


12.02 


4b 


37.16 


37.3 


32.46 


42.14 


9.68 


4a 


40.22 


39.3 


34.69 


48.75 


14.06 


5b 


40.33 


39.4 


34.64 


44.78 


10.14 


5a 


41.13 


40.6 


34.56 


46.85 


12.29 


6b 


41.89 


41.2 


35.67 


47.14 


11.47 


6a 


42.18 


41.2 


35.88 


48.56 


12.68 


7b 


43.09 


42.7 


37.01 


48.23 


11.21 


7a 


45.31 


44.7 


40.02 


50.72 


10.70 


8b 


45.41 


44.6 


38.89 


51.31 


12.42 


8a 


44.58 


43.8 


39.05 


49.56 


10.51 


9b 


49.91 


49.1 


43.66 


56.35 


12.69 


9a 


47.69 


47.2 


41.30 


53.81 


12.51 



1 Derived from Table II. 



17 



Table V 



Average Scores in Speed by Grades 
Comparative Tables 



Grade 


Berkeley 


*St. Louis 


tRichmond 


JAyres Standard 


2 


25.5 


36.7 




31 


3 


45.1 


56.8 


39.2 


44 


4 


56.0 


64.0 


48.4 


55 


5 


69.7 


65.6 


67.2 


64 


6 


77.6 


69.3 


80.1 


71 


7 


90.9 


74.7 


82.8 


76 


8 


103.2 


72.8 


94.6 


79 


9 


110.6 









* See No. 8 in Selected Bibliography on Handwriting which is appended to this 
report. 

f Data from an unpublished study made by A. S. Boulware, Geo. C Kvte 
and A. J. Hamilton (1919). 

J See No. 3 in Selected Bibliography. 



Table VI 





Average Scores in Quality by Grades 








Comparative Tables* 






Grade 


Berkeley 


St. Louis 


Richmond 


Ayres Standard 


2 


38.0 


29.9 




38 


3 


37.8 


31.8 


38.4 


42 


4 


40.2 


36.7 


44.5 


46 


5 


41.1 


49.4 


56.8 


50 


6 


42.2 


57.0 


54.3 


54 


7 


45.3 


63.4 


65.9 


58 


8 


44.6 


74.3 


67.0 


62 


9 


47.7 









* See sources of data given in footnotes to Table V. 



Interpretation of Data 

Tables I and II are tables of distribution for speed and for quality 
Tables III and IV are derived tables showing the central tendencies for 
the several grades. It will be seen from a study of the figures in Tables 
III and V, and the graph in Diagram I, that the children of Berkeley 
excell to a marked degree in speed from the fifth grade on. In the 
Intermediate schools this superiority in speed is very marked; even the 
median of the lower half of the children is superior to the standard as 
set up by Ayres. (Note the position of the lower quartile in relation 
to the standard curve in Diagram I.) The Ayres Standard, moreover, 
is approximately the average of the ability of a great many thousand 
children; it is widely recognized as a satisfactory working standard. 



18 



Diagram I. Speed in Handwriting 




EB Zf\ 3B 3A 4B 4A 5B 5A 6B 6A 7B 7A <3B 6A ?B 7A 

G I o 5 5 e s 

Exactly the opposite condition is found to exist in regard to quality 
of handwriting. The median attainment for Berkeley children is 
decidedly below the Ayres Standard after the low third grade (Tables 
IV and VI). A more striking feature of the situation, however, is 
revealed by a study of Diagram II, which is based upon the figures of 
Tables IV and VI. The median attainment in the Berkeley low second 
grade is 39 (on the Ayres Scale) and in the low ninth it is only 49— an 
improvement of ten points. According to standards widely accepted 
throughout the country the attainment for the eighth grade and beyond 



19 



Diagram II. Quality in Handwriting. 




26 ZPi 3B J5A 4B 4A JB 5A 6B 6A 7B 7A 6'B 5 "A 13 W 



Classes 

ought to be at least 63 or 64. Diagram III, which is based upon the figures 
of Tables V and VI, shows the facts of the situation by the two-co- 
ordinate method. Whereas the Standard attainment in quality pro- 
gresses regularly from 38 to 62, and whereas the curves for St. Louis 
and for Richmond approximate this curve, Berkeley fails to get beyond 
the 50 mark at any point. On the other hand, the superiority in speed 
stands out very clearly. Apparently the children of Berkeley write 
faster than other children — and with greater illegibility. For the 
teaching force the problem facing them would seem to be very clear: 
emphasis needs to be placed upon formation and excessive speed 
should not be allowed to destroy legibility. It has often been stated 
that a happy medium must be found between the two, and the recom- 
mendation seems to strike home in Berkeley with particular force. 



20 



ffi 



$ 

& 







21 



Speed 
90 

80 

70 

60 

50 
40 

30 

20 

10 



Diagram IV. Washington School 

























6 
^ 6 






4 


5 


* 
* 


* 

5 









/ 
/ 


* 
/4 








\3 


/ 








2 




/ ■ 































25 30 

Quality 

Median . 



35 



40 



Standard 



45 



50 



55 



It may be noted in passing that the lack of drill in letter formation 
— and the process of producing writing — is also apparent in the lack 
of any pronounced similarity in the handwriting of the Berkeley children. 
This factor cannot be shown in any tables, but was noted again and 
again by members of the Seminar. Whereas in many systems where 
writing is extensively taught and supervised, — in short, where there is 
a strong central direction in the subject of penmanship,— there is 
naturally a very considerable degree of uniformity of style and size of 
letters, in Berkeley there is a lack of any uniformity, unless the tendency 
to a very small writing may be deemed a type of uniformity. 



24 






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28 



Diagram IX. Speed and Quality of Handwriting of pupils, grades 2 to 6, 
a j in one elementary school, compared with the Ayres standards. 

90 



80 



70 



60 



50 — 



40 



30 



20 







6 

4' 










\ 


\ 

i 






6 










5 

4 


y'' 


3 


\, 


)' 


/' 


4 y 
/ 










3 / 










a/ 


■ 












\z 


F 


SANKLIN 



25 30 

Quality 



35 



40 



45 



50 



55 



average person is to use in after life. The need of the specialist may- 
well be considered a vocational problem, but the need of the masses 
is the creed of the school. 



Comparison of Typical Schools 

Tables VII and VIILare tables of distribution for speed and quality 
in two typical schools, the Washington and McKinley. The Washington 
represents the type approaching more nearly the standard curve for 
both speed and quality, and the McKinley, the type with the greatest 
deviation from the standard curve. 

It will be seen from a study of the figures in these tables that the 
pupils in both schools in speed and also quality approximate closely in 
their distribution, a normal probability curve. However, the range 
in speed of the McKinley pupils is much greater than that of the 



29 



Diagram X. Speed and Quality of Handwriting of pupils, grades 2 to 6, 
in four elementary schools, compared with the Ayres standards. 
Speed 



80 






















/ 






















5 


J 










5 


















6 


ao 






\ 


if 




..-'6 

's 










,■ 


5 








w 


,' 












,' 




90 






s 


s , 


/4 












'4 








A/ 




















40 
30 








,/3 










4-= 

3 


"^/3 








,1 


\ '2 












'2 




















#»/ 






















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H MUIR 










LONC 


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80 
























6 


















4 








70 
60 

50 








> /6 




6 












6 






r 


• 


,■ 


5 










,• 


5 






i 




/4 






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'4l' 










A 


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/& 






30 
20 






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3S^ 


>3 










/z 




w 


1ITTIER 


z-—~ 








TH0USA1 


D OAKS 



25 30 35 40 45 50 

Quality 

(Berkeley Medians 



30 35 40 



45 50 55 



Ayres Averages . 



) 



Washington pupils, but the range in quality is considerably less. Also it 
will be seen that only 7% of the pupils in the McKinley school score 
(on the Ayres scale) 50 or above, a standard shown by Koos in a recent 
study to be high enough to meet the needs of the world at large. While 
in the Washington school 15% of the pupils have attained that standard. 
Diagrams IV and V show in a graphical form the medians of grades 
2b to 6a inclusive in both schools- compared with the Ayres standard 
curve. Similar data for all remaining schools are pictured in Diagrams 
IX, X, XI, XII, XIII. 

In an elementary school comprising the first six grades it seems fair 
to assume that the attainment of the high sixth class is typical of the 
school, therefore Diagram VI is included in this survey for the purpose 
of making a comparative study of the various schools in the city. 
Diagram VIII pictures the same data for the Junior High Schools. 



28 



Diageam IX. Speed and Quality of Handwriting of pupils, grades 2 to 6, 

in one elementary school, compared with the Ayres standards. 
Speed 




25 30 

Quality 

average person is to use in after life. The need of the specialist may- 
well be considered a vocational problem, but the need of the masses 
is the creed of the school. 



Comparison of Typical Schools 

Tables VII and VIII are tables of distribution for speed and quality 
in two typical schools, the Washington and McKinley. The Washington 
represents the type approaching more nearly the standard curve for 
both speed and quality, and the McKinley, the type with the greatest 
deviation from the standard curve. 

It will be seen from a study of the figures in these tables that the 
pupils in both schools in speed and also quality approximate closely in 
their distribution, a normal probability curve. However, the range 
in speed of the McKinley pupils is much greater than that of the 



29 



Diagram X. Speed and Quality of Handwriting of pupils, grades 2 to 6, 
in four elementary schools, compared with the Ayres standards. 
Speed 



80 












































S 






10 






5 


















6 








' 






.-'6 












,- 


60 








if 




i 










.- 


5 








VI 


,' 












,'' 












V 


.'4 












/4 




90 






s 
























S 














/ J 






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30 








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3 


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st 


^ '2 












'a 




















/ 














* 














JD1 


N MUIR 










LONC 


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80 
























6 


















4 








70 
60 
SO 








>^ 




6 












6 






r 


y 


,■ 


5 










; 


5 






i 


, 


/4 






SK 






■'4 










/ 3 


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/3 






40 

30 
20 






























'2 












3^i 


>3 










/z 




w 


uttier 


2 








TH0USA1 


D OAKS 



25 30 35 40 45 50 

Quality 

(Berkeley Medians 



30 35 40 45 50 55 

; Ayres Averages ) 



Washington pupils, but the range in quality is considerably less. Also it 
will be seen that only 7% of the pupils in the McKinley school score 
(on the Ayres scale) 50 or above, a standard shown by Koos in a recent 
study to be high enough to meet the needs of the world at large. While 
in the Washington school 15% of the pupils have attained that standard. 
Diagrams IV and V show in a graphical form the medians of grades 
2b to 6a inclusive in both schools' compared with the Ayres standard 
curve. Similar data for all remaining schools are pictured in Diagrams 
IX, X, XI, XII, XIII. 

In an elementary school comprising the first six grades it seems fair 
to assume that the attainment of the high sixth class is typical of the 
school, therefore Diagram VI is included in this survey for the purpose 
of making a comparative study of the various schools in the city. 
Diagram VIII pictures the same data for the Junior High Schools. 



30 



Diagram XI. Speed and Quality of Handwriting of pupils, grades 2 to 6, 
in four elementary schools, compared with the Ayres standards. 
Speed 































6~~ 


\ 




6 




















) 


_, 


5 










A 


,,'fe 






/ 


/ 


'\ 












// 






Ah 








p 


A 








> 


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^--*S 












N 


V 4 








/ 
2' 


J 




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i 


'. CONTE 






,2 




HI 


LLSIDK 




1 














6 


















6 






r 














\5 




5 










y 


'i 






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3 


■4 








* \ 




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/ 3 


,i 










/ 

L '2 


\ 










'2> 














\ 


HAW 


rHORNE 








\ z 


JEF 


rERSON 



25 30 35 40 45 50 



30 35 40 45 50 55 



Quality 



(Berkeley Medians ; Ayres Averages ) 



In Berkeley where the speed in all grades above the fourth in most 
of the schools is much beyond the standard it would seem to be the 
problem of such schools to lay great stress upon the development of 
quality even at the expense of speed if quality has not kept pace with 
speed. Diagram VII shows in a marked way to what an extent speed 
has been developed in the Berkeley schools in all grades at the expense 
of quality. 



31 



Diagram XII. Speed and Quality of Handwriting of pupils, grades 2 to 6, 
in four elementary schools, compared with the Ayres standards. 
Speed 



90 


























flO 


































6 


















70 












S 6 












s 










1 




,'"' 






4 


/ 6 






60 






J 




,-' 


5 






/^ 


f 


s 


5' 






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4 { 


\ ' 


A 








</> 


>5 


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V ^ 


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/z 












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\ 




















30 






" 












i. 










2 


z 










3 £ 




















i 


INCOLH 






2/ 






OXFORD 










/ 


























//" 


^* b 










— 6 














/ 








5 


















/ 




,,-S 






















u 




S 












's 


60 


/ 






/ 






/* 












4 








/ 




/ 












/ 






40 




K 




,/s 










s . 


_-}£ 4 
,/3 












V 












2 / \ 














/ 














\ 






20 






I 




CI 


LUMBUS 






\ 


i 


1MERS0N 



Z 5 30 35 40 45 50 

Quality 

(Berkeley Medians 



30 35 . 40 45 50 SS 

Ayres Averages ) 



32 



Diagram XIII. Speed and Quality of Handwriting of pupils, grades 7 to 9, 
in four intermediate schools, compared with the Ayres standards. 
Speed 



140 



70 















/9 




















V 


















?v- 














X\ LJ 








V 










/ 


9 




• 




\ 










7 \ 




















'\\ 






8 










a 


/ 


^ 


6 


£--' 








6 


>' 








*' 










,-' 








5 






EDISON 




5 




E 


URBANR 












9 




















\8 












9 








y\ 


\ 










7 






8 


7 








8 








7^- 


' 








7>- 










,-' 










,- 








e. 










6, 








5 




1 


ULLARD 




5 




C 


ARFIELD 



40 45 60 55 

Quality 

(Berkeley Medians 



45 50 



60 65 



; Ayres Averages . 



33 

For the sake of those who may be interested in reading for them- 
selves concerning the status of writing as revealed in current educational 
comment the following brief bibliography is appended. 

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY ON HANDWRITING 

1. Ashbaugh, E. J.: Handwriting of Iowa school children, Extension division 

bulletin No. 15, University of Iowa 1916. 

2. Ayres, L. P.: A scale ("Three Slant Edition") for measuring the quality of 

handwriting of school children. No. 113. Division of Education, Russell 
Sage Foundation. New York 1912. 

3. : Handwriting scale ("Gettysburg Edition ") and standards. Russell 

Sage Foundation. New York 1917. 

4. : The public schools of Springfield Illinois. Pages 74-77, Russell Sage 

Foundation. New York 1914. 

5. Boston, Mass.: Public school document No. 6. 1916. 

6. Freeman, F. N.: An analytical scale for judging handwriting. Elementary 

school journal, April 1915. 

7. : Handwriting. Chapter V, Fourteenth yearbook of the national society 

for the study of education 1915. 

8. : Handwriting, Chapter XIV, St. Louis Survey 1916. 

9. : Penmanship, Chapter VII, Grand Rapids school survey. Board fo 

Education, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1916. 

10. : Principles of method in teaching writing as derived from scientific in- 
vestigation. Chapter I, Part II. Eighteenth yearbook of the national 
society for the study of education. 

11. : Teaching of handwriting. Boston, Houghton Mifflin Company 1914. 

12. Gray, C. T.: The training of judgment in the use of the Ayres scale for hand- 

writing. Journal of education psychology, 1915. 

13. Judd, C. H. : Tests of handwriting. Chapter IV. Measuring the work of the 

, public schools, Survey committee of the Cleveland Foundation, 1916. 

14. Koos, L. V.: Determining ultimate standards. Elementary school journal, 

February 1918. 

15. Iowa State Teachers' Association: Bulletin of the, November 1916. Elimina- 

tion of obsolete and useless topics and materials from the common branches. 

16. Mead, Cyrtjs D. : The effect of exempting pupils proficient in handwriting, 

Journal of educational psychology, April 1917. 

17. Monroe, W. S. : Handwriting. Chapter VI, Second and third annual reports 

of the bureau of educational measurements and standards, 1915-'16, 
1916-'17. Kansas State Printing Plant, Topeka, 1917. 

18. : Measuring the results of teaching. Chapter 8. Houghton Mifflin Co. 

1918. 

19. Monroe, W. S., DeVoss, J. C, and Kelly. F. J.: Educational tests and mea- 

surements. Boston, Houghton Mifflin Co. 1917. 

20. Starch, Daniel: Measurement of efficiency in handwriting. Journal of 

educational psychology. February 1915. 

21. : Writing scale. University Cooperative Co., Madison. Wisconsin. 

22. Thorndike, E. L. : Handwriting. Teachers College Record II, No. 2, March 

1910. Columbia University, New York. 



CHAPTER II 

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON SPELLING 

Material for the Test and Plan of Giving 

On March 13, 1919, at the same hour in a given school, the pupils 
from the low second to the high ninth grades inclusive were asked to 
spell twenty words. The words were chosen from the Ayres Measuring 
Scale for Ability in Spelling. It has been found that classes make, on 
the average, a grade of 73 per cent, when they attempt to spell these 
words. These lists were the same that were dictated to the children of 
the Cleveland Ohio Survey. Several days before the day of the test 
the principals and teachers received the following bulletin of instruc- 
tions from the office of the Superintendent : 

Instructions Concerning Spelling Tests 

Berkeley, California, 

To Principals and Teachers: 

On Thursday, March 13th, a representative of Professor Mead's 
Seminar will come to your school for the purpose of giving, or assisting 
the teachers in giving, a test in spelling from the second to the ninth 
grades inclusive. Lists of words will be provided by the above rep- 
resentative. Do no "teaching" of the words. Provide your class with 
such material as they regularly use in a spelling lesson. See that each 
pupil writes his name, date, grade (A or B), and school. Dictate the 
spelling list as you would ordinarily in a written spelling period. If 
necessary, you may use a word in a sentence in order to make clear its 
meaning. Have the pupils spell, however, only the word. Collect and 
immediately mark all papers on the percentage basis, writing the score 
in the upper right hand corner, deducting five per cent, for each mis- 
spelled word. An omitted word should be counted as an incorrect 
spelling. Attach the spelling list to the papers and hand the same, 
properly clasped, to the representative. It is important that this test 
be given Thursday, preferably Thursday morning. Please see that the 
above directions are followed implicitly. 

Very truly, 

H. B. Wilson, 

Superintendent of Schools. 



35 



Oral Instructions 

In addition to this, the representative was authorized to give such 
oral instruction to the teachers as seemed necessary for a clear under- 
standing of what they and the children were expected to do. The most 
important of these oral directions were : 

1. Not to tell the children they were taking a "test." 

2. Dictate at the usual writing speed of the class. 

3. The teacher to number the words as they were dictated. 

4. If the pupil began a word incorrectly, then changed it, it was to be counted 

right, if correctly done at last, if the teacher was sure the word was not 
copied. 



Tabulation of Results 

The papers were collected and marked by the teachers, then turned 
over to the waiting representative who later revised the gradings. It 
was interesting to discover that almost as many papers had, in the haste 
of marking, been marked too low as too high. Where some percen- 
tages had to be lowered five or ten points, others had to be raised ten or 
fifteen. The spelling committee advises, that in the test of next term, 
more time be allowed for this part of the teachers' work. 

The score of each grade was tallied on sheets like the accompanying 
form which shows the record for a typical A sixth grade, and upon these 
sheets was computed the correction on the guessed average to get the 
true average. 

The grade scores and averages were assembled upon two different 
forms. One form showed the scores and averages for each grade in a 
particular school ; the other form showed the scores and averages of the 
same grade in all the schools. Upon the totals found upon each sheet, 
the committee has computed the guessed and true average, the average 
deviation, the median, and the quartile deviation. The number of 
computations on each sheet was fourteen. Where there were several 
classes of a grade, as for example, six in the high seventh of the Willard 
School, the computations were increased to the number of twice the 
additional divisions. The thirty-five sheets necessary to formulate 
this report represent a total of four hundred ninety computations with- 
out the additional pairs made necessary by the three, four and six-fold 
divisions of several grades. This will explain the fact that several 
months passed before the results of the tests were made accessible to 
teachers. 



36 



Typical Score, Sixth A Grade 
Spelling 










5 






10 






15 






20 






25 






30 






35 


2 




40 






45 






50 


3 




55 


1 




60 






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1 




75 


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SO 


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85 


2 




90 


2 




95 


2 




100 


1 




N. 


19 




Guessed Av. 


77.5 




True Av. 


73.3 











37 



Factors to be Considered in Interpretation of Results 

Before discussing the tabulations and graphs, attention is invited to 
the following facts : 

The test was given on March 13, four weeks and three days after 
the mid-year promotions which were made on February 10. The 
achievement of Berkeley as a whole is not, therefore, entirely compar- 
able with that of those cities where the test was given at the mid-year 
period. In other words, the B section of every grade was much nearer 
to the A section of the grade below, than to the A section of their own 
grade. 

The second thing that must be taken into consideration in inter- 
preting Berkeley's record is that there was an enforced vacation due 
to the influenza totaling nine weeks. For purposes of comparison, 
however, the results with the B, or lower, sections were not used. The 
average results of the A or upper, section of each grade were used in the 
comparison of Berkeley with other cities. As a matter of fact then, 
these A sections were still about four weeks short of the mid-year. 

A third point should be kept in mind. In the Berkeley Survey there 
was no sampling, but every spelling was used. 5814 children of the 
city spelled, or attempted to spell, twenty words each. The tabulations 
therefore represent 116,280 spellings. In no other survey, so far as 
known, has this been true. San Francisco was notably sampled even 
after the spelling was given in only a part of the schools of the city. 

In another way the Berkeley Survey is unique. The entire teach- 
ing staff of the Elementary and the Intermediate Departments had an 
important part in it. In other cities with which Berkeley has been 
compared, the tests were conducted in the main by persons who were 
strangers to the children. In Berkeley unfamiliar personalities were 
not a confusing element. This should have induced a better perfor- 
mance on the part of the children. The participation of the teachers 
in the work brought out re-actions impossible if classes had been visited 
and tested by outsiders. Those re-actions are bound to result in great 
good to the schools because intelligent criticism and helpful suggestions 
are most desirable if real growth is to be secured. 



38 



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40 

Table III 

Table of Averages — A Sections 

(Averages of Averages) 

Grade Grade Grade Grade Grade Grade Grade 
II III IV V VI VII VIII 

Standard 73 73 73 73 73 73 73 

Berkeley 60.7 73.9 65.9 65.6 75.2 72.3 74.2 

Interpretation of Results 

Table I (Distribution of Spelling Scores for Berkeley, Regardless of 
Schools) shows the total number of distributions of each measure fo* 
the different grades throughout the Berkeley system. For illustration: 
out of the 371 pupils in the A second grade, 27 made a score of 100 per 
cent., while the entire number of second grade pupils made an average 
of 62.7 per cent. 

Table II (Average Score made by the High and Low Sections of 
Each Grade, according to schools) when read horizontally shows the 
class average of each school for each of the grades and also the average 
for the school. When read perpendicularly, it shows the average by 
grades in each school and for the system. 

Table III (Table of Averages) represents the averages of the class 
averages, by grades, in the entire system regardless of schools. Thus 
the average of all the second grades (A Div.) in Berkeley is 60.7 per cent. 

The averages pictured in Chart I (Averages of Averages) show that 
the Berkeley Schools, as a whole, are a little above the 73 per cent, score 
in the third, sixth and eighth grades, but that the second, fourth and 
fifth grades fall surprisingly low, while the seventh closely approximates 
the 73 per cent, point. The equality of the fourth and fifth grades in 
negative ability is significant and gives rise to several questions regard- 
ing the causes for the condition. The average for the entire City of 
Berkeley is 69.7 per cent. 

A comparison of Berkeley's record with that of CI velancl brings 
out the fact that in both cities good and poor spelling ability lies, re- 
latively, in the same grades. The very low attainment of the second 
grade is probably due to two facts: (1) spelling as a subject is not regular- 
ly taught in all the first grades; and (2) in nearly all the classes the second 
grade children were using paper and the pencil as a medium for the first 
time on the day of the test. We do not understand the low scores of the 
fourth and the fifth grades. Since the same grades in Cleveland occupy 
the same relative position, there is perhaps some unknown factor that 
influenced the achievement in both cities. This suggests further study. . 



41 



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42 

Not only is there a wide difference between the same grades of the 
different schools in Berkeley, but the range within the individual schools 
is in some instances very large. The variation in the averages made by 
the different grades in the Berkeley Schools, as shown in Table II, is 
from 60.7 per cent, in the second grade to 75.2 per cent, in the sixth, a 
variation of 14.5 per cent. In Cleveland the range is from 73 to 80 
per cent., a variation of only 7 per cent. In the Elementary group, the 
school having the greatest range shows a spread from 16.2 per cent, in 
the b second to 87 per cent, in the a sixth. The one showing the least 
variation extends from 61.8 per cent, to 78.3 per cent. In the Inter- 
mediate group, (seventh and eighth grades only) the same thing is true. 
The greatest range is from 53.2 per cent, to 79.2; the least from 59 to 
68.8 per cent. The fourth grades (a Div.) which average 65.9 per cent, 
have a reach from 44 per cent, to 81.1 and the fifth grades (a Div.) which 
average 65.6 per cent, offers 54.2 per cent, as the lowest grade average, 
and 74.1 as the highest. 

To arrive at a more definite conclusion regarding the causes of this 
condition, detailed studies of the causes of pupils' misspellings would 
have to be made. Such a study is suggested by Monroe in "Measuring 
the Results of Teaching," pages 192 to 202. 

Time has not permitted this, therefore the Committee is not willing 
to hazard an opinion. One thing however does seem to be indicated, 
and that is, that there is too much attention given to the spelling of 
mere lists of words which the pupil may already know, and not enough 
to systematic development of the ability to attack a new word. In- 
attentive application to what one already knows produces a mental 
apathy which can soon become a fixed habit. 

Recommendations 

In view of the fact that a more complete diagnosis cannot be made 
at this time, the Committee is limited in the kind and the number of 
the recommendations that it can make. The first and the most impor- 
tant from the Committee's point of view is that a copy of each grade 
and school sheet, a copy of the tables of averages, and of the graph, be 
furnished to every school in each group and that the schools themselves 
study these results and endeavor to arrive at a conclusion which may be 
passed on to the teaching staff in order that a better and more uniform 
quality of work may be done in the grades. 

To facilitate and illumine the study of these tabulations and graphs, 
we recommend that the Board of Education supply each school with one 
or more copies of the following books : 



43 

The Eighteenth Year Book, (the 1919 issue), in which there are forty-one 
principles of method in spelling presented as the last word from the 
Committee on Economy of Time in Education. This same Yearbook 
contains similar principles of method in reading, writing and arithmetic. 

Monroe: Measuring the Results of Teaching. Houghton Mifflin Company. 

Tidyman: The Teaching of Spelling. World Book Company 

Pearson and Suzzallo : Essentials of Spelling. American Book Company 

There is now in the hands of the Elementary teachers, and it should 
be in the Intermediate grades, a copy of the California Teacher's Manual 
of Spelling. This offers illuminating material for the teachers' guidance. 
An extensive bibliography is also listed in the Eighteenth Yearbook, to 
which attention is directed. 

To facilitate the movement for an improvement in spelling ability, 
the Committee offers the following suggestions taken from the investiga- 
tions previously mentioned and recommends that they be put into the 
hands of each teacher and acted upon immediately. 

The Committee sees two phases of the matter, and has arranged the 
recommendations under two headings. For the teacher we submit 
guidance in the methods of teaching spelling. For the pupil — to be 
taught to him by the teacher — directions for the method of studying 
spelling. 

I. Guidance in the Method of Teaching Spelling 

1. The time, 15 minutes daily, devoted to spelling, should largely 
be spent on class instruction under the direction of the teacher; in other 
words, it should be devoted to teaching rather than to testing. 

2. Any good plan of teaching may be followed. Suzzallo and 
Pearson in their recent text, "Essentials of Spelling," present the fol- 
lowing excellent procedure: 

a. Write the new word in its normal form on the blackboard. (Make use of 
the visual sense) . 

b. While writing it, pronounce it distinctly. 

c. Develop the meaning orally, by calling on the pupil for a sentence using 
the word, or by giving yourself a sentence, or by defining the word. 

d. Show the syllables into which the word is divided, either by drawing ver- 
tical lines between the syllables (or lines under), or by covering the word 
so that but one syllable at a time is seen. Call upon the pupils to spell 
orally by syllables. (It is well to have the pupil form the habit of clearly 
pronouncing the word before and after spelling.) Have them indicate 
the part of the word that presents difficulties or the part that they already 
know. 

e. Have the pupils write the word on practice paper several times, spelling 
it quietly as they write. 



44 

/. Allow the class a moment in which to look at the word again, then close 
the eyes and try to visualize it. 

g. Provide plenty of repetition for drill, oral and written. (Some teachers 
give their pupils four or five minutes, say, to "study" their written word 
lists, after teaching, then have the class turn their papers over to spell 
from rapid dictation, this to determine the daily spelling grade). 

3. For interesting methods of drill, the group contest in spelling 
games is recommended. S. A. Courtis' Teaching Spelling by Plays and 
Games, (82 Eliot St., Detroit) contains explicit directions for a number 
of such. 

4. Teach the pupil to correct his own errors. 

5. Insist upon careful spelling in all written work. 

The committee wishes to emphasize the following negative matters 
in method: 

1. Do not require a pupil "'to write a word ten, fifteen or twenty times 
mechanically." Repetition should be accompanied by attention, and 
the teacher should know that such is the case. 

2. Do not permit children to correct one another's spelling. 

3. Do not call attention unnecessarily to the wrong wordform. For example, 
never say, "Do not use two l's in until." Say rather, "Notice the one 
1 in until." 

4. Do not drill upon words the children already know and do not drill upon 
all words alike. 

II. Directions to be followed in Studying Spelling 

The California Manual for the Teachers on page 8 says: "It is 
much more important that the child should know how to study new 
words than that he should be forced arbitrarily to memorize any fixed 
series of words." The teacher should then see that he knows how to 
study spelling. Excellent directions are to be found in the Children's 
Preface of the new California State Series of Spellers, and the teacher 
should see that each pupil understands and uses that method or some 
one equally good. 

The pupil should be taught to keep in a note book an alphabetical 
list of the words which trouble him and his study of spelling should be 
directed to the mastery of his own difficulties. 

Pupils should be taught now to use the dictionary in the study of 
spelling and then required to use it. 

Pupils should acquire and be encouraged to use correct pronuncia- 
tion as an aid to correct spelling. 



45 

As in the process of teaching there are some things one should not 
do, so in the process of learning there are some "do not's." Among 
them the following are to be stressed : 

1. Do not guess at a spelling. Use the dictionary or ask the teacher. 

2. Do not waste time in studying words you already know. 

3. Do not write a word over and over without thinking about it. AVrite it 
a fewer number of times saying it quietly to yourself as you write. 

4. Do not neglect to correct every misspelling in every piece of writing that 
you do. 

The committee urges, that in the effort to raise the standard of 
ability, there be no increase of time allowance for spelling. It seems to 
be established conclusively that fifteen minutes daily is ample time if 
the methods followed are good. More time than that has not been 
shown to be more productive of power. 

In conclusion the committee desires to say that in its opinion the 
emphasis should not be laid so much upon the fact that Berkeley did not 
do well, but upon the fact that it could do better. The only value that 
the survey can have is to stimulate to new and more intelligent efforts. 



MEASURING CLASSROOM PRODUCTS 
IN BERKELEY 

Study Number 1 
of the Bureau of Research in Education 

In two Sections— Section II 



MAY 1, 1921 



SUBVEY: MEASURING CLASSROOM PRODUCTS IN BERKELEY 

Section II of the report, made to Superintendent H. B. Wilson, 
on "Measuring Classroom Products in Berkeley." This survey was 
undertaken as a project by the 1918-19 Seminar in Educational Mea- 
surements. The 1920-21 Seminar has added the results in English 
composition and geography. Section I of December 1, 1920, includes 
the communications requesting the survey and the reports on hand- 
writing and spelling. Section II, following, will include the work 
done in measuring reading, arithmetical abilities, composition and 
geography. 

Cyrus D. Mead, 

Associate Professor of Elementary Education, 

University of California. 



CONTENTS 



SECTION II 

PAGE 

Survey 49 

Chapter III — Report of the Committee on Reading 53 

Planning for the Tests 53 

Directions for Giving 53 

Oral Instructions 54 

Giving the Tests 55 

Tabulation of Results 55 

Disclosures 65 

General Relation Between Rate and Comprehension 67 

Factors Influencing Rate and Comprehension 67 

General Suggestions 69 

Suggestions Applicable to Berkeley 70 

Bibliography 72 

Chapter IV — Report of the Committee on the Fundamentals of Arithmetic 74 

Introduction 74 

Planning and Giving Tests 75 

Directions for Giving and Scoring 75 

Oral Instructions 77 

Collection and Assembling of Data 77 

Explanation of Tables and Graphs 77 

Interpretation of Results 82 

Recommendations for Berkeley v 91 

Chapter V — Report of the Committee on Arithmetical Reasoning 92 

Giving the Tests 92 

Directions for Giving and Scoring 92 

Comparison of Facts from Study of Tables and Graphs 93 

Recommendations 97 

APPENDIX 

English Composition and Geography 98 

Composition 98 

Geography 162 



CHAPTEE III 

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON READING 

Monroe's Standardized Silent Reading Tests were used in measur- 
ing the reading ability of 4714 pupils in Berkeley's nineteen schools. 
The tests were given on the afternoon of April twenty-fourth, nineteen 
hundred nineteen. The grades tested were the A-third to the A-ninth 
inclusive. All B-third grades were omitted and in a few schools the 
B-sixth and B-ninth also. This was necessary because there was an 
insufficient number of test sheets for all. 

PLANNING FOE THE TESTS 

Before the tests were given the manner of giving them was taken 
up in Dr. Mead's Seminar and carefully considered. A set of instruc- 
tions to principals and teachers was worked out by the members of 
the Seminar. These instructions were incorporated by Superintendent 
Wilson in his official Bulletin Number 48 and sent out to each of the 
Berkeley principals and teachers prior to the giving of the tests. The 
bulletin read as follows : 

THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 

Berkeley, California 

Bulletin No. 48. 
April 21, 1919. 

Directions foe Giving Tests in Reading 

To Principals and Teachers: 

The tests in reading will be given to classes from the third to the 
ninth grades inclusive during Thursday afternoon, April 24. A rep- 
resentative of Professor Mead's Seminar will be at your school some 
time during the morning, at a time to be arranged by telephone, in 
order to distribute the material and assist the teachers in interpreting 
the directions for giving (and scoring) the tests, such directions being 
printed on page one of each pupil's test sheet (or on the class record 
sheet). It is of the utmost importance that uniformity of conditions 
prevail in the giving of these tests. A deviation from the regular 



54 

order of procedure would of necessity invalidate the result with your 
class. Principals will please make arrangements necessary for the 
representative to meet the teachers in group. 

Administer the reading test as if it were an ordinary written 
exercise. Let natural conditions prevail. Do not have the pupils 
"fussed." Follow rigidly the directions and pay scrupulous attention 
to the five-minute time limit. Have a watch with a second hand. Have 
the 'pupils get ready five seconds before the minute, starting on the 
minute. It is well to add the five minutes to the time, writing it down. 
Call stop at exactly five minutes. Collect all papers immediately; 
score before leaving the building; place the Class Record Sheet on 
top of the class tests ( disregard entering the scores on the Class Record 
Sheet) ; tie all into a compact bundle and hand to the Principal, who 
will send same to the Superintendent's Office by four o'clock the fol- 
lowing day. 

Very truly yours, 

H. B. Wilson, 

Superintendent of Schools. 

Each member of the Seminar was given the responsibility . of two 
schools. It was his duty to see that the teachers were provided with 
Individual Test Sheets, Class Record Sheets, and other materials needed 
in giving the tests and recording the results. The printed instructions 
to the teachers were supplemented and further emphasized orally by 
the Seminar member as follows : 

Oral Instructions for the Reading Test 

1. The test in a given school is to be given at the same period in 
the afternoon, all before, or all after an intermission. 

2. Go over with the teachers in a group the method of giving and 
of scoring the tests. Advise the use of a pencil. 

3. There are four rules to be followed in giving any standard test : 

(a) Follow the printed directions carefully. 

(b) Do no more nor less than the directions specify. 

(c) Do not try to improve upon the directions. 

(d) Watch the time of five minutes. Use a watch with a second 

hand. Record the time limit of starting and stopping by 
adding the five' minutes to the time and entering the same 
in the upper left corner of the same sheet. 

4. Be natural. Do not "fuss" the pupils. 

5. Study the directions until familiar with them. 

6. Return all unused copies of the tests. 



55 

7. Mark strictly as to marking lines under or around words. That 
is, take off if wrong, but use judgment in marking an exercise if the 
answer shows that the child understands. 

8. If the value on any test sheet is blurred, refer to the clear sheet 
to get the value. 

9. Put nothing on the Class Record Sheet except the heading and 
the time. 

Each teacher was given opportunity to ask as many questions of 
the Seminar member as she cared to in order that the manner of giving 
the tests should be thoroughly understood. That the teachers were 
interested and anxious to make the tests effective was manifested by 
the number and the character of the questions asked. 

Giving the Tests 

The teachers gave the tests to their respective groups of pupils and 
scored the papers. This meant extra work for the teachers, but they 
willingly gave of their time and strength to accomplish the task quickly. 
The teachers not only scored the papers but they also arranged them 
in order so- that the lowest comprehension score appeared at the top 
of the bundle of papers and the highest at the bottom. This saved the 
reading committee much time. 

The answers to some of the questions on the test sheets were absolute, 
i.e., one answer was right, any other answer was wrong. The answers 
to other questions were left to the judgment of the one who did the 
scoring. Since there were so many who scored the tests it was thought 
best for the Seminar members to check the work of the teachers. The 
results were very satisfactory. In a few instances it was felt that a 
higher score had been given than the pupil had earned, so the final 
score was slightly lowered. In many more instances, however, it was 
felt that overly conscientious teachers had rated their pupils too low 
and the final score was raised. Throughout the giving of the tests 
there was ever manifested on the part of the teachers the desire to do 
everything "just right," 

Tabulation of Results 

The scores earned by the pupils of the various classes in each school 
were entered upon a special blank form (Class Record Sheet, Form I) 
issued by the Bureau of Educational Measurements and Standards, 
Kansas State Normal School, Emporia, Kansas. After the scores for 
comprehension were recorded on the Class Record Sheets, it was neces- 
sary to rearrange the bundles of individual score sheets on the basis 



56 

of the pupil's rate of reading. The rate scores were entered on the 
same Class Record Sheets as were the comprehension scores. From 
these scores were computed the medians for rate and comprehension 
for each class. 

In order that the results of the tests might be easily compared, 
school with school and grade with grade, the committee devised two 
special forms of tabulation sheets, one for the rate scores and one for 
the comprehension scores. The accomplishments in both rate of read- 
ing and comprehension for the various grades in the city, regardless 
of school, are assembled in Tables I and II. These data are pictured 
in Graphs I and II. 

The dotted line in Graph I represents the average score in the rate 
of silent reading of 4714 Berkeley pupils from the third through the 
ninth grades. The solid line represents the standard score of the 
same grades for other cities of the country. The figures on the top 
line of the diagram indicate the grades while those on the vertical line 
show the rate of reading (number of words per minute). The breaks 
between the fifth and sixth grades and the eighth and ninth grades 
represent the three different tests. 

The dotted line in Graph II represents the average score in the 
quality or comprehension of silent reading of 4717 Berkeley pupils 
from the third through the ninth grades. The solid line represents 
the standard score of the same grades for other cities of the country. 
The figures on the top line of the diagram indicate the grades while 
those on the vertical line show the reading comprehension. The breaks 
between the fifth and sixth grades and between the eighth and ninth 
grades represent the three different tests. 

Graphs III, IV, V, and VI represent four Berkeley schools illus- 
trating varying conditions throughout the city. They show that in 
Berkeley as in other cities there is considerable variance of results 
in rate and comprehension of reading ability. These four graphs 
emphasize the fact that each school must meet and overcome problems 
distinctively its own. 

For illustration : 

It will be noted by Graph III that the Emerson School stands un- 
usually high both in* comprehension and in rate of reading. Further- 
more, each succeeding grade improves gradually up to and including 
the sixth grade. The social and economic advantages unquestionably 
enter into the situation and bear out many of the statements made in 
this report. 

Over and against these advantages we might cite Graph VI — the 
Hawthorne School. Although the fourth and fifth grades are very 



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65 

near to the standard, it will be seen that, as compared to the Emer- 
son School, the standing is considerably lower. 

In Graph IV it will be noted that the third grade stands unusually 
low both in rate and comprehension. The fourth and fifth grades 
make rapid progress, especially in rate, while the sixth grade drops 
below the standard of the fifth grade. What may be the cause of this 
situation ? 

In Graph V — the Washington School — we have a still different 
situation. The third and fourth grades stand well, as compared with 
the standard, but the fifth and sixth grades show practically no gain 
either in rate or comprehension. This calls for a different solution 
from the others. 







Table of Standards 








Grade 


III 


IV V VI 


VII 


VIII 


IX 


Rate 


52 


73 89 88 


99 


106 


87 


Comprehension 


7.2 


13 19 20 
Medians for Berkeley. 


23 


26.4 


25 


Rate 


53 


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97.5 


101.3 


87.7 


Comprehension 


7.3 


14.9 18.6 19.2 


19.8 


22.7 


26.5 



Graph VII is a typical representation of the fact, generally true, 
not only in Berkeley but also in other cities, that a gain in rate of 
reading means a corresponding gain in reading comprehension. For 
illustration: Graph VII shows the seventh and eighth grades to be 
very near on a par with one another ; their rate being practically the 
same and their comprehension increasing almost uniformly. The ninth 
grade of the Willard School, however, shows a decided increase in rate 
of reading over the Garfield School and the comprehension value im- 
proves in like proportion. 



Disclosures 

A careful study of the results of the reading test in Berkeley 
discloses the fact that comprehension is sacrificed for rate throughout 
the fifth and sixth grades. This is very little, however. In the ele- 
mentary grades — from the third through the sixth — there is a steady 
increase in reading rate over the standard for other cities, the highest 
point being reached in the sixth grade. In the seventh and eighth 
grades there is a drop, while again in the ninth grade Berkeley stands 



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67 

a little above the standard. 1 In reading comprehension the third and 
fourth grades are above the standard while the fifth, sixth, seventh, 
and eighth grades show scarcely any improvement, being below the 
standard for other cities. The ninth grade, as in reading rate, stands 
above. 

General Relation Between Rate and Comprehension 

The prevailing opinion of the past has been that the slow, pains- 
taking reader was also the more accurate reader in that he could 
understand better and reproduce more of the selection read than the 
rapid reader. Recent tests of large classes of children do not bear out 
this supposition. Often the rapid reader is the ' ' good ' ' reader and the 
slow reader is the "poor" reader. This is true of the Berkeley chil- 
dren as shown by the present tests. More frequently than otherwise 
there is a marked correlation between a high rate of speed in reading 
and a high comprehension score. There is of course an extremely rapid 
rate of reading, "skimming," which is beyond the normal rate of the 
child. This usually results in confusion and lack of comprehension. 

Figure I given below is reproduced from the Report of the Cleve- 
land Survey and shows what Judd found to be true concerning the 
rate and comprehension of 1831 pupils in silent reading as measured 
by Gray's Silent Reading Tests. On the basis of their scores these 
pupils were divided into nine groups as indicated in the figure. The 
per cent of the pupils in each group is indicated by the number within 
the circle. The size of the group is represented by the size of the circle. 
The figure shows that a rapid reader is more frequently good in 
quality (comprehension) than poor. The opposite is true of the slow 
reader. 

Factors Influencing Rate and Comprehension 

In a preceding paragraph it was pointed out that the rate score 
had reached the high-water mark in the sixth grade, being decidedly 
above the average. The comprehension score, however, shows that the 
fifth and sixth grades have fallen below the standard for other cities. 
It would seem, as was true in the Cleveland Survey, that in these 
grades rate was stressed at the expense of quality. It would be de- 
sirable if the rate could be maintained as it has been established, but 
unless the quality can be likewise brought up to a correspondingly high 



1 The reader must not confuse "standard" with the ideal. Standard in this 
case means simply what pupils "on the average" now do. 



68 

degree, the rate should be sacrificed. In the other grades the curves 
show that both rate and comprehension are emphasized equally : that 
as pupils read rapidly their power of comprehension is correspond- 
ingly high. 

The Berkeley schools are organized on the six-three-three plan. 
The Intermediate schools comprise the seventh, eighth, and ninth grades 
and are operated on the regular High School plan. The break or gap 
that formerly existed between the eighth and ninth grades, now, to 
some degree, exists between the elementary and intermediate grades. 
The committee is inclined to believe that the chief reason for the drop 
in rate and comprehension during the seventh and eighth grades is 
due largely to the change in method from that of the elementary schools. 
Here more attention is devoted to the mechanical construction, the 




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Fig. I — Per cent of 1831 Cleveland pupils found in each of nine speed and 
quality groups in silent reading. (From Judd's Measuring the Work of the 
Public Schools.) 



69 

introduction of the classics is frequently followed by a slower and more 
detailed study of structure, and a more general knowledge is expected 
from the pupils than was required in the preceding grades. The 
progress from the seventh through the eighth grade is steady and 
fairly comparable with the standard for the other cities and in the 
ninth grade is above the standard. 



General Suggestions 

The suggestions and general principles of method in reading given 
below are the conclusions drawn by William S. Gray from various 
scientific tests in reading. These appear in the Eighteenth Yearbook 
of the National Society for the Study of Education, 1919, Part II. 
(Public School Pub. Co., Bloomington, Illinois). They appeal to the 
committee as having unusual value and for that reason have been made 
a part of our report. 

A. Growth Periods in the Development of Reading Ability. 

1. Accomplishment in oral reading increases rapidly in the lower 

grades and steadily, but less rapidly, in the upper grades. 

2. Rate of oral reading increases rapidly in the first three grades, 

and approximates a maximal rate in the fourth grade, excepting 
in the case of difficult passages. 

3. Accuracy in the pronunciation of simple words increases rapidly 

in the lower grades. Longer and more difficult words present 
real difficulties throughout the upper grades. 

4. Mastery of the mechanics of reading is frequently acquired more 

rapidly than the ability to comprehend the meaning of what is 
read. 

5. Rate of silent reading increases rapidly in the lower grades and 

approximates a maximal rate in the upper grades. 

6. The rate of silent reading surpasses the rate of oral reading 
between the second and fourth grades. 

7. Ability to comprehend the meaning of what is read improves 

steadily throughout the grades. 

8. Ability to comprehend simple statements of fact should be de- 

veloped by the end of the third grade. 

9. During the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades pupils should be taught 

to understand selections of increasing difficulty and they should 
be trained to utilize reading ability in a variety of ways. 



70 

B. Suggestions Relating to the Improvement of Rate of Reading. 

1. Short exposure exercises are effective in improving the rate of 
reading in the lower grades. 

2. Short exposure exercises, combined with training in rapid read- 
ing, are effective in increasing the rate of reading. 

3. Speed drills increase the rate of reading, but do not change the 
effectiveness of reading to any large extent. 

3. Skimming in reading increases the rate but may decrease mark- 
edly the comprehension of what is read. 

5. Much reading of simple interesting material is effective in in- 
creasing the rate of reading. 

C. Suggestions Relating to the Improvement of Comprehension. 

1. Knowledge, while reading, that material is to be reproduced 
improves the quality of the reading. 

2. Ability to reason and to make judgments concerning what is 
read are essential in effective silent reading. 

3. Emphasis of the elements on which meaning depends improves 
comprehension. 

4. Rapid readers usually read more effectively than slow readers. 

5. For a given pupil the comprehension of what is read decreases 

as the rate of reading increases above his normal rate. 



Suggestions Applicable to Berkeley 

Since the Survey in Berkeley shows (a) that the reading in the 
earlier grades is, on the whole, satisfactory as compared with pupils 
in general, and (&) that in the upper grades it is below the standard, 
the following suggestions applicable to Berkeley are offered : 

1. More instruction in silent reading should be given by thought- 
provoking and interpretive question. "Thornclike reaches the follow- 
ing conclusions after a careful, analytical study of the errors which 
pupils make in answering questions about what they have read : ' In 
school practice it appears likely that exercises in silent reading to 
find the answers to given questions, or to give a summary of the 
matter read, or to list the questions which it answers should in large 
measure replace oral reading. The vice of the poor reader is to say 
the words to himself without actively making judgments concerning 
what he reads.' " 



71 

2. Silent reading may profitably be given as early as the third 
grade, with some practice in the earlier grades. 

3. Teachers would do well to discriminate between selections to be 
read orally and those to be read silently. There should be more in- 
struction and practice in silent reading in the upper grades. 

4. More reproduction, involving conclusions, should be required in 
order to strengthen comprehension. 

5. All reproduction should be specific rather than general. 

6. It is well to encourage speed ; but comprehension should not be 
sacrificed to obtain it. 

7. Constant effort should be made on the part of the teachers to 
increase the child 's vocabulary. 

8. Special care should be taken to build up the vocabulary of chil- 
dren whose parents are foreign born. 

9. A branch of the Public Library should be established in each of 
the Intermediate Schools. 

10. A sufficient number of interesting books should be provided 
for the school library. 

11. Pupils who have access to few or no books at home should be 
especially encouraged to use the library, the teacher aiding the pupil 
in choosing such reading material as appeals to his native interests and 
lies within the scope of his reading comprehension. 

12. Classics which require that the major part of the pupil's time 
be used in acquiring the pronunciation and meaning of words should 
be eliminated from the course of study. 

13. Some attention should be given regularly to word analysis. 

14. "When a test shows that the scores of a class are widely dis- 
tributed more individual instruction might be given with profit. 

15. In the departmentalized schools the teachers of English should 
be trained to use the standardized tests. The regular teachers in the 
elementary schools might also be trained to use them with profit. 

16. In every school we find some slow pupils and some whose home 
environment is a decided drawback. We also find in some of the 
Berkeley schools that the percentage of failures is very much greater 
than in others; this is especially true in the schools in which the for- 
eign element predominates. The committee believes that special classes 
should be formed and a different course of study and of instruction 
should be planned to suit their capabilities. 



72 



BIBLIOGRAPHY 

For those who desire to study further the subject of Tests and 
Measurements in Silent Reading the committee recommends the fol- 
lowing material : 

1. The tests. 

(a) Brown's Silent Beading Test. H. A. Brown, Bureau of Besearch, 25 
Capitol Street, Concord, New Hampshire. 

(b) Courtis' Standard Besearch Tests in Silent Beading. S. A. Courtis, 
82 Eliot Street, Detroit, Michigan. 

(c) Fordyce's Scale for Measuring the Achievements in Beading. Uni- 
versity Publishing Company, Lincoln, Nebraska. 

(d) Gray's Silent Beading Tests. Wm. S. Gray, School of Education, 
University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois. 

(e) Also, Gray's Oral Beading Test. Same address. 

(f) The Kansas Silent Beading Tests, devised by F. J. Kelley, Bureau 
of Educational Measurements and Standards, Emporia, Kansas. Test 
1 is for grades III, IV, and V; Test II, for grades VI, VII, and VIII; 
Test III, for grades IX, X, XI, and XII. 

(g) The Minnesota Scale Beta. Bureau of Cooperative Besearch, Uni- 
versity of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

(h) Monroe's Standardized Silent Beading Tests. Bureau of Cooperative 
Besearch School of Education, Indiana University. 

(i) Starch's Silent Beading Tests. Daniel Starch, University of Wis- 
consin, Madison, Wisconsin. 

(j) Thorndike's Scale Alpha for Measuring the Understanding of Sen- 
tences. Bureau of Publications, Teacher's College, Columbia Uni- 
versity, New York City. 

(£) Thorndike's Visual Vocabulary Test. Teacher's College. 

2. Brown, H. A. The Measurement of the Efficiency of Instruction in Beading. 

Elementary School Teacher, vol. 14, pp. 477-90. June, 1914. 

3. Gill, Edmund J. Methods of Teaching Beading. Journal of Experimental 

Pedagogy, vol. 1. March, 1912. 

4. Gray, William S. The Belation of Silent Beading to Economy in Education. 

Sixteenth Yearbook, Part 1, 1917. 

5. Gray, William S. The Use of Tests in Improving Instruction. Elementary 

School Journal, vol. XVIII. June, 1918. 

6. Gray, William S. A Cooperative Study of Beading in Eleven Cities in 

Northern Illinois. Elementary School Journal, vol. 17, pp. 250-65. De- 
cember, 1916. 

7. Gray, William S. Studies of Elementary School Beading Through Stand- 

ardized Test. Supplementary Educational Monographs, University of 
Chicago Press. 

8. Haggerty, M. E. The Ability to Bead: Its Measurement and Some Factors 

Concerning It. Indiana University Studies, no. 34. 



73 

9. Judd, Charles E. Measuring the Work of the Public Schools. Cleveland 
Education Survey Eeports. 

10. Mead, Cyrus D. Silent Versus Oral Beading, and Further Eesults in Same. 

Journal of Educational Psychology. June, 1915, and June, 1917. 

11. Monroe, W. S. Measuring the Eesults of Teaching (Chapter III). Houghton 

Mifflin Company. 

12. Monroe, De Voss, and Kelly. Educational Tests and Measurements (Chapter 

III). Houghton Mifflin Company. 

13. Peters, Charles C. The Influence of Speed Drills Upon the Eate and Effec- 

tiveness of Silent Eeading. Journal of Educational Psychology, vol. 
VIII. June, 1917. 

14. Starch, Daniel. The Measurement of Efficiency in Eeading. Journal of 

Educational Psychology, vol. VI. January, 1915. 

15. Thorndike, E. L. Eeading as Eeasoning: A Study of Mistakes in Paragraph 

Eeading. Journal of Educational Psychology, vol. VIII. June, 1917. 

16. Uhl, W. L. The Use of the Eesults of Eeading Tests as Bases for Planning 

Eemedial Work. Elementary School Journal, vol. 17, pp. 266-75. De- 
cember, 1916. 

17. The Eighteenth Yearbook, Part II. Public School Publishing Company, 

Bloomington, Illinois. 1919. 



CHAPTER IV 

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE FUNDAMENTALS OF 

ARITHMETIC 

Introduction 

Even though it is no longer thought that proficiency in abstract 
number work is all or even the most important part of arithmetic, it 
is still conceded that the ability required to perform the operations of 
addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division is fundamental in 
making arithmetic one of the working tools of every day living. It 
should be the aim of common school education to make these four 
processes so automatic in a limited time that they may be performed 
with accuracy and rapidity. This acquired efficiency will then allow 
more of the pupils' attention and time to be devoted to the real prob- 
lems of arithmetic. 

The fifth and last series of tests to be given in connection with 
the seminar survey of the Berkeley Public Schools were the Courtis 
Standard Research Tests, Series B, in the fundamentals of arithmetic. 
These were given on May 8th and 9th, during the twenty-fifth week 
of the school year. A total of 3900 children, including all the pupils 
in the 135 classes in grades four to eight, were tested. 

The Courtis Arithmetic Tests have undoubtedly been the most 
widely used of any designed for the measurement of ability in the 
fundamental processes. As a result, we have in connection with them 
the best comparative standards. The one used in this report is called 
the "general standard," and consists of medians given by Courtis 
and based upon distributions of many thousands of individual scores 
in tests given in May or June, 1915-1916 (see Bulletin 4, Courtis 
Standard Research Tests). These general standards include the re- 
sults obtained from equal numbers of classes from large city schools 
and from small city and country schools. Courtis has proposed another 
standard with a lower rate (speed), in general for lower grades, and 
100 per cent accuracy. This standard is the ideal toward which our 
school work is properly directed, but it is not the one generally used 
for comparative purposes. 

The committee has spent not less than a total of one hundred and 
fifty hours in connection with the work of compiling this report. The 
computations, more than 2000 in number, were all checked and in 
many instances rechecked to guard against mistakes. 



75 

Planning and Giving Tests 

The following directions were sent to every teacher in the Berkeley 
department several days preceding the day set for the test and were 
followed in detail : 

THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
Berkeley, California 

Bulletin No. 54. 
May 3, 1919. 

Directions for Giving Tests in the Fundamentals of Arithmetic 

To Principals and Teachers: 

The tests in the four fundamental processes of arithmetic will be 
given to classes from the fourth to the eighth grades inclusive during 
the afternoons of May 8 and 9. A representative of Professor Mead's 
seminar will be at your school some time during the morning at a 
time which may be arranged by telephone, in order to distribute the 
material and assist the teachers in interpreting the directions for giv- 
ing and scoring the tests. See that the directions are followed im- 
plicitly. The time limits should be watched very carefully. Principals 
will please make the necessary arrangements for the representative to 
meet the teachers in group. This will be the last test. 

Directions for Giving and Scoring the Tests 

1. For each room, prepare as many bundles of papers as there are 
rows of seats, putting into each bundle as many papers as there are 
seats in each row. 

2. Begin by saying : ' ' My purpose this morning is to measure 
how well you can add, subtract, multiply, and divide. I have here 
some printed tests. They are not examinations, because exactly these 
same tests have been given to all the grades from the third through 
high school. If you treat the tests as though they were a game, you 
will enjoy them. Do your best for the honor of your school. I am 
going to give each of you a set of these papers, but do not examine 
them until I tell you to do so. Will the boys and girls in the front 
seats please distribute them for me ? ' ' 

3. Distribute the papers by putting a bundle on the first desk in 
each row and letting the children do the rest. 

4. Have the children fill out the blanks at the bottom of the first 
page. Write the date in figures, and the time to the nearest half hour ; 
thus, 9-25-1913-10:30. 



76 

5. Have the children read instructions for Test 1 out loud in 
concert. 

6. "Now please listen closely. In these tests it is important that 
we all start at the same time and stop at the same time. We can do 
this easily, if you follow my instructions exactly. Lay your papers 
on your desks in position to work the examples. Take your pencils in 
your right hand, and when I say 'Get ready,' raise your pencil hand 
in the air as if you were going to ask a question. (Illustrate hy suit- 
ing the action to the words.) Do not look at the tests, but watch me. 
Then when I say ' Start, ' you can bring your pencil down, and every 
one will start at the same time. When I say ' Stop, ' I want you all to 
stop at once, and to raise your hands again so that I can see that you 
have stopped. Now I think we are ready to try the test." 

When the second hand of the watch reaches the 55 second mark 
say : ' ' Get ready for the Addition Test. Hands up. Eyes this way. ' ' 
Exactly at the 60 mark say "Start." (It is well to add the number 
of minutes to the time of starting, writing it down.) 



Allow Exactly Eight Minutes 

"Stop. Hands up." Make sure all have stopped. "Count how 
many examples you have finished, and write the number in the score 
card in the corner under the number attempted. Do not count ex- 
amples you have begun but have not finished. Your score is the 
number of the examples you have finished. I am coming to your desk 
to see that you have written it in the right place. ' 4 

7. Read the answers from an Answer Card (be sure the form 
number corresponds with that of the tests), and have children check 
answers right (this means each digit) or wrong, counting the number 
right, and writing it in their score cards. 

8. In similar fashion give and score the other tests. For Test 2, 
Subtraction, allow exactly four minutes; for Test 3, Multiplication, 
allow exactly six minutes; for Test 4, Division, allow exactly eight 
minutes. 

9. Give Tests 1 and 2 the first day, and Tests 3 and 4 the next. All 
may be given at one time if desired. (Watch the time limits.) 

10. The teacher should rescore all papers having exceptionally low 
or high scores. Mark I. N. F. (Instructions not followed) all papers 
where the children have used the wrong operation ( addition for multi- 
plication, etc.). 



It 

11. Tie all papers into a compact bundle, include the Answer Card, 
and send same to the Principal, who will send the test sheets to the 
Superintendent's office by Saturday, May 10th. 
Very truly yours, 

H. B. Wilson, 

Superintendent of Schools. 

Oral Instructions 

These oral instructions were given to the teachers by the repre- 
sentatives : 

1. Give the tests any time Thursday or Friday. 

2. Under direction (5) ask the children if there are any questions. 
Test them as to whether they understand the instructions. 

3. Keep B and A sections separate. 

4. Be sure that on the second day each pupil gets his own paper. 

Collection and Assembling of Data 

When the tests were given, the papers were corrected by the chil- 
dren and checked by the teachers according to directions. Members 
of the Seminar recorded the results for the schools which they repre- 
sented on the Class Record blanks. These were then taken in charge 
by the committee, who assembled the results, finding the median of 
attempts, accuracy and rights for each grade, as given in the following 
tables and graphs. 

Explanation of Tables and Graphs 

The tables I, II, III, and IV give the median score in the number 
of examples attempted, and the number found right in each grade 
tested. The standard is placed at the top of the page for comparative 
purposes. At the bottom of the page is the average score attained by 
each grade in Berkeley. Table V compares the number of examples 
attempted, the accuracy and the rights of each grade of Berkeley with 
the standard for corresponding grades, in each of the four processes. 

Graph I is a graph showing the average of Berkeley medians in 
comparison with the standard medians for speed and accuracy in addi- 
tion. For this graph we have used the Courtis sheet, which is self- 
explanatory. Graphs II, III, and IV are similar charts for subtraction, 
multiplication, and division. 

Graphs V and VI are a comparison of Berkeley rights and standard 
rights. Rights are obtained by multiplying speed by accuracy. The 



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82 

result is really the median of correct examples for each grade. By 
this and Graphs VII and VIII it can be more clearly noted where 
Berkeley falls above or below the standard. 

Graphs IX and X, and XI and XII, show the range between the 
highest and lowest score reached in each grade, and also the variation 
from the standard. 



Table V 



Addition 
Standard Berkeley 


Subtraction 
Standard Berkeley 


Grade 
4 


Att. 
7.4 
8.6 
9.8 
10.9 
11.6 


Ace. 

64 

70 

73 

75 

76 


Rts. 
4.7 
6 

7.2 
8.2 
8.8 


Att. 
7.5 
8.3 
9.5 
9.4 
9.9 


Ace. 
60.1 
67.2 
74.2 
69.8 
74.1 


Rts. 

4.5 
5.6 
7.1 
6.6 
7.3 


Grade 

4 


Att. 

7.4 

9 

10.3 
11.6 
12.9 


Ace. 
80 

83 
85 
86 
87 


Rts. 
5.9 
7.5 
8.8 

10 

11.2 


Att. 
7.1 
8.9 

11 

12.3 

14.3 


Ace. 
69.9 
79.8 
85.5 
86.1 
90.5 


Rts. 
5 


5 


5 

6 


7 1 


6 


9 5 


7 


7 

8 


10 6 


8 


12 9 









Multiplication 








Division 








Grade 
4 


Att. 
6.2 
7.5 
9.1 
10.2 
11.5 


Ace. 
67 
75 
78 
80 
81 


Rts. 
4.2 
5.6 
7.1 
8.2 
9.3 


Att. 
5 
7 

8.4 

9.2 

11.9 


Ace 
65.9 
71.2 

81 

78.2 

83.4 


Rts. 
3.4 

5.1 
6.8 
7.2 
9.9 


Grade 


Att. 


Ace. 


Rts. 


Att. 


Ace. 


Rts. 


5 


5 


6.1 

8.2 

9.6 

10.7 


77 
87 
90 
91 


4.7 
7.1 
8.6 
9.7 


5.3 
7.8 
8.5 
11 


64.8 

85.4 

91 

95.8 


3 5 


6 


6 


6 7 


7 


7 

8 


7 9 


8 


10.7 



Interpretation of Results 

From these tables and graphs any school or grade may be com- 
pared with any other school or grade. The test papers are all pre- 
served and any principal or teacher may secure those in which he is 
interested for the purpose of studying the comparative ability of indi- 
vidual pupils, and also using them as the basis for a study of individual 
and group progress. The committee hopes that the report on this 
series of tests may help toward making instruction in the Berkeley 
schools more balanced as well as more effective. It will be noted that 
all of the grades, with the exception of the eighth, are below the 
standard in rights in all processes except subtraction, while the eighth 
grade rises well above in all but addition. Another noticeable feature 
is the drop in the seventh grade in all processes except subtraction. 
In several instances the B division of a grade scored higher than the 
A division. Standard rights means simply what the pupils in general 
' ' on the average" now do. Due to the shortened terms and consequent 
changes in the course of study, division was omitted by most fourth 



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89 

grade classes, so no record was made of the results where these tests 
were given in the fourth grade. 

Attention is called to the fact that the Courtis Standards are hased 
on tests given to both A and B divisions of the grades in May or June. 
This would mean that the B divisions took the tests about the seven- 
teenth or eighteenth week of its time in the grade, while the A divisions 
had practically completed the same grade, making the average time in 
the grade about twenty-seven weeks. The Berkeley tests were given 
during the twenty-fifth week in the grade for the A classes. Therefore 




H 



bo 







es 



90 

for our graphs and charts only the scores of our A divisions have been 
considered and the results are, for approximate purposes, comparable. 
Eesults differ largely in different sections of the city. This may 
be due partly to the fact that, because the course of study does not call 
for any definite amount of time to be spent in drilling upon the funda- 
mental processes of arithmetic, there has been no uniformity of practice 
in the various schools. The drop in the seventh grades probably is 
due to the fact that at this grade the Junior High organization for ail 
pupils is begun in the Berkeley schools and the change of schools 
necessarily causes a break in some of the work. 




yj 



-»-> 

* 



i 




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91 

Several unavoidable factors entered into the Berkeley survey which 
should be held in mind when results are compared with standards. The 
two most important, probably, were : 

1. Various Red Cross, loan and other war and reconstruction activ- 
ities which had a patriotic claim upon considerable of the pupils' time. 

2. The influenza epidemic. The schools were closed for a total of 
nine weeks, in two periods, on account of this scourge. Besides this 
enforced vacation, the attendance of pupils was extremely irregular 
for weeks, many substitute teachers were employed and there was a 
noticeable impairment of health of both pupils and teachers. 

Recommendations for Berkeley 

Each principal should compare his school with other schools, with 
the Berkeley averages, and especially with the standards, that he may 
learn where help or better work is needed. Each teacher from her 
comparisons should be able to derive satisfaction or ambition and 
determination. 

Sufficient practice material should be provided and drill upon the 
fundamentals required, the required time to depend upon the varying 
needs as shown by repetition of the tests. Good practice material 
provides for time limited, motivated work, and pupils are expected to 
become more proficient in the formal phases of number work in less 
time than formerly so that a longer time might be devoted to the con- 
crete and applied phases of arithmetic. 

The Series B tests should be repeated during both terms of the 
coming school year, and the results again compiled and made available 
for all the teachers and principals for further comparisons. 

In conclusion, we would refer the teachers of all grades to the very 
constructive report on the teaching of arithmetic made by the Com- 
mittee on the Economy of Time in Education in the Eighteenth Year- 
book, Part II, of the National Society for the Study of Education, 
pages 78 to 92. 



CHAPTER V 

REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON ARITHMETICAL REASONING 

Giving the Tests 

The Arithmetical Scale A of Starch (Arithmetical Reasoning) was 
given in the Berkeley Schools on the first day of May, 1919, in all of 
the grades from the high third to and including the high eighth. The 
following instructions were sent to the principals of the fifteenth ele- 
mentary and the four intermediate schools : 



THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
Berkeley, California 



Bulletin No. 52. 
April 28, 1919. 



Directions for Giving Tests in Arithmetical Problems 

To Principals and Teachers: 

The test in Arithmetical Problems will be given to classes from the 
third to the eighth grades inclusive during Thursday afternoon, May 
1st. A representative of Professor Mead's Seminar will be at your 
school some time during the morning, at a time which may be arranged 
by telephone, in order to distribute the material and assist the teachers 
in interpreting the directions for giving and scoring the test. See that 
the directions are followed implicitly. Principals will please make the 
necessary arrangements for the representative to meet the teachers in 
group. 

Directions for Administering and Scoring the Test 

Allow the pupils as much time as they need to do as many of the 
problems as they can. A pupil's score is the number of the highest 
step passed (not the sum of the steps), minus any steps on which he 
may have failed. For example, if a pupil does all steps up to and 
including 8 and then fails on all the rest, his score is 8. But if he 
fails on 9, does 10 and 11, and fails on the rest, his score is 10. That is, 
he receives credit for every step passed beyond the point where he first 
failed and is penalized for every step, on which he failed. 



93 

The results for a class should be tabulated to show the name of 
each pupil together with his score and the average for the entire class. 

Before beginning the test have each pupil fill in the data asked for 
at the bottom of the test sheet. When all have finished, tabulate the 
class results as by the above directions, include such tabulation in the 
test sheets, tie all into a compact bundle and hand to the Principal, who 
Avill send same to the Superintendent's office by 4 o'clock the following 
day. 

Very truly yours, 

H. B. "Wilson, 

Superintendent of Schools. 

On the day preceding the giving of the tests each school was visited 
by a member of the Seminar, who instructed the teachers in reference 
to givinng and scoring the tests. These following oral instructions 
supplemented the printed ones: 

1. 20 or 30 minutes should be sufficient for the test. At the end 
of 30 minutes collect all papers. Allow at least a 30-minute 
period exclusive of the time for the data at the bottom of the 
sheet. Tell the children to take the time they need and that all 
do not need to start and stop at the same time. 

2. Tell the children to use the back of the sheet for scratch paper. 

They are to work mentally if they wish and to use pencil. 

3. The results of each test should be entered on a blank sheet of 
paper. Write each pupil's name and score. Add and average. 
Return all unused sheets. 

4. Mark each problem correct with a C. Count the number of Cs. 

Count down that number of problems and the last number is 
the score. Disregard the score in parenthesis. 

5. Proceed with your regular arithmetic for the morning, but do 
not touch on problems of this nature. 

6. Give at the same period throughout the building, either all before 
or all after an intermission. 

The tests were given and scored by the teachers, whose work was 
verified by Seminar members. The results are shown in the accom- 
panying tabulations and graphs. 

Comparison of Facts from Study of Tables and Graphs 

Table I shows the grade distribution of scores assembled irrespective 
of schools, the total number of pupils in each grade, and the average 
score made. Thus, in the A3 grade of the Berkeley schools there were 
353 pupils. The average score attained by this grade was 4.2. 



94 



Table I — Distribution of Scores According to ' ' Steps Attained ' ' by the 
Various Grades, 3a to 8a Inclusive 



Score 


3A 


4B 


4A 


5B 


5A 


6B 


6A 


7B 


7A 


8B 


8A 





8 
74 
146 
66 
42 
15 

2 


1 

49 

130 

98 

40 

34 

7 

2 


3 

30 

105 

128 

82 

57 

22 

5 

3 


2 
12 
53 
83 
107 
62 
36 
15 

6 

1 


6 

41 

75 

103 

83 

58 

37 

8 

6 


1 

2 

22 

47 

67 

87 

66 

51 

28 

9 

4 

1 


1 

6 
23 

49 
67 
85 
72 
58 
35 
17 
4 
1 


1 

16 
22 
38 
61 
45 
58 
39 
29 
18 
6 


1 

4 
15 
22 
33 
55 
74 
68 
79 
48 
33 
14 


1 

6 
11 
23 
24 
34 
46 
41 
60 
28 

6 




1 




4 




6 


1 


7 


2 


8 


10 


9 


26 


10 


32 


11 


65 


12 


60 


13 


64 


14 


56 


15 


39 






Number 


353 


361 


435 


377 


417 


385 


418 


333 


446 


280 


355 






Average 


4.2 


5.0 


5.8 


6.7 


7.3 


8.1 


9.3 


10.1 


10.7 


11.1 


12 1 







Table II shows the class averages for all of the grades in all of the 
elementary and intermediate schools of Berkeley. This total class 
average (A divisions) is compared to the Starch standard for the same 
grades. Thus, the A3 grades in the Berkeley school attained a score 
of 4.2, while the Starch standard presumably for the A3 grade is 4.6. 

Table III assembles the averages of the High divisions of each grade 
and compares them to the Starch standards. These are used as a basis 
for the graph which pictures the attainment of the Berkeley schools in 
relation to the Starch standards. (Graph I.) 

A review of the table and graph showing the achievement of the 
Berkeley schools in the Starch test discloses the fact that the Berkeley 
score is consistently lower than the standard. It must be remembered 
that, as in the fundamentals, the standard score is given only for the 
end of each year ; therefore there is no means of comparison in the low 
divisions. 

In a study of the tables, one observes that the schools having a 
large foreign-speaking element average below the standards in the rea- 
soning test, while in the "fundamentals," with one exception, they 
average above. This may be expected, as in problem work so much 
depends upon the reading ability of the child. On the other hand, in 
those schools where the children are accustomed to home reading and 
have a ready understanding of the printed paragraph, the scores made 



95 



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96 

in the reasoning test were above standard, while many fell below in 
the fundamentals. . The fact that the sixth grades, marking the end of 
the elementary schools, approach the standard in both the fundamen- 
tals and the reasoning tests, while the seventh grades show a drop, 
may be due to the change of schools at this point and consequent change 
of systems. 



Table III 



Berkeley Score 
(A. Division of grades) 
Grade 3— 4.2 
Grade 4—5.8 
Grade 5 — 7.3 
Grade 6— 9.3 
Grade 7—10.7 
Grade 8—12.1 



Starch Standard 

4.6 

6.2 

7.8 

9.4 
11.0 
12.6 



12 



11 



10 



Berkeley ScovA * 




Grades ^ ■nr O 



6 7 .8 



Graph I — Starch-Scale A. Eeasoning Test. Berkeley Score compared with 
Starch Standard. 



'97 

Becommendations 

It is the sentiment of the committee that there is not enough avail- 
able problem work related to the child's experience, especially in the 
elementary grades. This has a tendency to emphasize the mechanical 
side of the work and does not afford opportunity for the exercise of 
the reasoning ability. So far as is feasible number work should be 
drawn from or related to real concrete situations. The child should 
also have access to a quantity of interesting and varied material such 
as would continually challenge his intellectual activity and stimulate 
independent thinking. To this end tha committee recommends that 
there be placed in the hands of the children the best of modern and 
up-to-date texts. The problems and exercises in these books deal with 
facts related to actual experience and would give the child an oppor- 
tunity to think and work independently. The teacher is urged to 
supplement the texts with real community problem material. 

The committee recommends that a copy of the tables and graphs 
be placed in each school for the purpose of study. Teachers are re- 
ferred to the 18th Year Book of the National Society for practical 
and helpful suggestions. 



APPENDIX 

ENGLISH COMPOSITION AND GEOGRAPHY 

The tests in English composition and geography were organized, 
given, scored and tabled by the 1920-21 Educational Measurements 
Seminar. 2 The Nassau County Supplement to the Hillegas Scale was 
used in composition. Typical schools representative of the city were 
chosen with a sum total of nearly 1200 pupils. The tests were given 
about February 18, 1921. The midyear promotions had taken place 
and the B or low classes were some five weeks "over the grade," i.e., 
they were beginning the work of new grades. For purposes of com- 
parison, however, they were considered as finishing the grade previous. 
The B or low sections only were tested. The results were compared 
with the end of the year standards for the grade preceding. This 
meant that the Berkeley pupils had some five weeks the advantage. 
Tables I and II give the distribution of scores in composition for the 
classes tested in each school. Table III assembles the totals for the city. 
These data are pictured in the chart. 

The following was the procedure in giving the composition tests : 

INSTRUCTION'S TO BE FOLLOWED IN GlVING THE COMPOSITION TEST 

Provide each pupil with a sheet of the paper usually employed for 
composition work. Have them use pen and ink, unless they are accus- 
tomed to writing compositions with pencils. Direct the children to 
write at the top of the page their names, ages, grade, school, city and 
date, with a statement of about the number of weeks each one has been 
in the grade. Then make the following explanation: "I want to find 
out how interesting a story you can write when you try your very best. 
You may write on both sides of the paper if you wish. I want you 
to write this story in your best handwriting, to use the best English 
you can write, and above all to make the story as interesting as possible. 
I want you to tell me what you would like to do next Saturday. ' What 
I Should Like to Do Next Saturday' is the topic on which you are to 
write. You may now go to work. Let us see how well you can write." 

2 Florence L. Andruss, Edna L. Dessery, William V. Emery, Buth S. Genung, 
Frances Giddings, Ebse E. Hollstein, Thurston P. Knudson, Zing Yang Kuo, 
Charles B. Leonard, Eugenie Andruss Leonard, Florence E. Luke, Beverly M. 
Nevison, Loretta Munro Parkinson. Credit is due also to Miss Marion C. Smith, 
Assistant in Research in Berkeley, for cooperation and assistance. 



99 



Table I — Distribution of Scores in English Composition — Nassau County Scale 





o 

S 


1 


5B Grade (means 4A) 


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<3 
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a 

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Scale Values 

Nassau County 

Supplement 


a; 
a 

o 

-03 


."2 


o 

1-5 


is 

a 

o 

►h 


"S 

3 
Dh 

"5 
o 
Eh 


.0 (0 0.53) 


3 

27 
1 


5 

20 
6 


7 
3 


1 
1 

20 
14 


1 

8 
4 


2 
1 
3 

4 
4 


5 
16 


1 

12 
1 
1 


7 

29 

2 


8 
1 
5 
75 
115 
4 
1 


1.1 (0.54-1.49) 
1.9 (1.50-2.36) 
2.8 (2.37-3.32) 
3.8 (3.33-4.40) 
5.0 (4.41-5.48) 
6.0 (5.49-6.61) 
!7.2 (6.62-7.61) 
8.0 (7.62-8.50) 
9.0 (8.5-up) 


Total in Class 

Median counted 
Median calculated.. 
Average 


31 
3.7 
3.85 
3.74 
3.5 

68 

14 

18 
2 
1 


31 

2.8 
2.89 
',.51 
3.5 

19 

10 
10 


10 
3.2 
3.05 
3.1 

3.5 

20 
6B 

2 
6 
2 


36 
2.8 
3.15 
3.08 
3.5 

39 
Grade 

4 

7 

7 


13 
3.2 
3.08 
3.04 
3.5 

31 

(mean 

2 
13 


14 

2.8 
2.7 
2.3 
3.5 

27 

s5A) 

10 
6 
1 


21 
3.4 
3.73 
3.56 
3.5 

47 

1 

3 

14 


15 
3.8 
3.915 

3.9 
3.5 

86 

1 

2 

2 

14 

4 


38 
3.7 
3.716 
3.678 
3.5 

76 

7 
23 
17 

6 


209 
3.26 
3.34 
3 21 


Standard 


3 5 


Percent of class at 
or above standard 

.0 (.0 -0.53) 

1.1 (0.54-1.49) 
1.9 (1.50-2.36) 
2.8 (2.37-3.32) 
3.8 (3.33-4.40) 
5.0 (4.41-5.48) 
6.0 (5.49-6.61) 

7.2 (6.62-7.61) 
8.0 (7.62-8.50) 

9.0 (8.5-up) 


46 

1 

2 

42 

104 

52 

S 






Total in Class 

Median counted 
Median calculated.. 
Average 


35 
3.45 
3.57 
3.53 
4.0 

22 


20 
3.15 
3.33 
3.0 
4.0 




10 
3.85 

3.87 
3.84 
4.0 

40 


18 
4.15 
4.10 
4.04 
4.0 

55 


15 
3.65 
3.82 
3.66 
4.0 

6 


17 
4.40 
4.20 
4.30 

4.0 

64 


18 
4.7 
4.83 
4.68 
4.0 

89 


23 
3.8 
3.86 
3.59 
4.0 

16 


53 
4.1 
4.24 
4.10 
4.0 

50 


209 
3.91 
3.98 
3.94 

4.0 

38.8 


Standard 


Percent of class at 
or above standard 



100 



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101 



Table III — Distribution of Scores in English Composition — Nassau County 

Scale 

Berkeley Elementary and Intermediate Schools 



Scale Values — Nassau 
Co. Supplement 



5B' 



6B 1 



7B ( 



8B' 



9B ! 



10B ! 



Total 



Pet. 



.0 (0, 

1.1 (0. 
1.9 (1. 
2.8 (2, 
3.8 (3 
5.0 (4 
6.0 (5 

7.2 (6. 
8.0 (7, 
9.0 (8 



-0.53). 
54-1.49). 
50-2.36). 
37-3.32). 
33-4.40). 
41-5.48). 
49-6.61). 
62-7.61). 
62-8.50). 
5-up) 



1 

5 

75 

115 

4 

1 



2 

42 

104 

52 



10 
1 
5 

23 
110 

59 
6 



17 

55 

113 

3 



5 
48 
69 
30 

1 



3 
19 
55 
61 
46 



19 

2 

12 

143 

370 

273 

258 

79 

1 



1.64 

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1.04 

12.36 

31.98 

23.59 

22.30 

6.83 

.09 

.00 



Total 209 209 214 188 153 184 1157 100.00 



Note. — 5b is considered as 4a since the test was given five weeks after promo- 
tion, therefore work of 5b is compared with standard of 4th grade. 




$\artd&Y<l 



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-Scores jyi English Com^oxnTjOtt-Tab/e^I-IZr 
Nassau Govnju \Sca)€> 



102 

With young children the topic should be written on the hoard after 
the above oral explantaion has been made. For the ninth and tenth 
year classes the topic should be, "What I Should Like to Do After I 
Leave High School." The directions are to be the same in other re- 
spects. At the end of 18 minutes have the pupils hand in their papers, 
with the assurance that each one has at least written enough to enable 
us to determine whether or not he is going to have a good time on 
Saturday, etc. 

GEOGRAPHY 

Questons of 73 per cent end-of-the-year difficulty were selected 
from the Halm-Lackey Scale for Measuring Ability of Children in 
Geography. An effort was made to divide the questions equally be- 
tween the factual and the more thought provoking. These questions 
were mimeographed, space being allowed for answers, and the forms 
distributed to the pupils. An illustration of the Grade Low 5 test is 
given. Attention is again called to the fact, for reasons previously 
noted, that, while this particular test was given to a Low 5 grade, the 
questions were from the fourth grade end-of-the-year 73 per cent 
column. The class average, in other words, should approximate 73 
per cent with pupils finishing the grade. Tables I and II give the 
distribution of scores in geography for the classes tested in each school. 
Table III assembles the totals for the city. These data are pictured 
in the chart. 



103 



Name Age (last birthday) Grade 



School City Date 



State about how many weeks you have been in this grade. About weeks 



A Test in Geography for Grade Low 5 



1. What country is north of the United States and to whom does it belong" 



2. What two oceans border on the United States? 



3. Name five wild animals. 



4. Name two other countries in North America besides the United States. 



5. Name two kinds of work that men do in getting materials for building houses. 



6. Name two kinds of work that men do in getting food for us. 



7. How can you tell from what direction the wind is blowing? 



8. To whom do the streets or roads belong? 



104 



Instructions to be Read to Pupils Taking the Geography Test 

I am going to pass some questions in geography which I shall ask 
each of you to try to answer. You will be given enough time for this. 
Write the best answer you can in the fewest words just under the 
proper question. Complete sentences are not necessary ; words or 
phrases will do. You should use a pencil for your work. You are 
not expected to be able to answer all the exercises. Some of them 
were made difficult on purpose ; but if you can answer the difficult 
ones, the credit due you will be that much greater. At any rate, try 
hard to answer every exercise. You are to ask no questions about 
any of the exercises in the test. If I should permit you to ask questions 
and then answer them for you, it would defeat the purpose of the test 
and your answers could not be used. 

After the papers are passed to you, I shall read each question 
clearly so that you may understand the wording. You are then to 
begin. "When you have finished bring your paper to the desk. 

(Have papers passed. Have pupils fill blanks at top of form, then 
read clearly once with all attending. Start pupils to work. Do not 
impose a time limit, but 30 minutes should be ample time. As the 
papers come in, enter the time taken on each, to the nearest five 
minutes, and any other data which might be of interest.) 



105 



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107 



Table III — Geography (Hahn-Lackey Scale) 
Average Scores of All Grades in Berkeley 



Percent 
Values of Scale 


Grade 
4A 


Grade 
5A 


Grade 
6A 


Grade 

7A 


Grade 

8A 


Grade 
9A 


Total 





2 
3 

1 
10 
23 
15 
37 
25 
20 
16 

6 

12 
13 

7 


5 
1 
5 
3 

13 

17 

21 

27 

33 

15 

13 

11 

6 

8 

10 

4 

1 

12 


2 

2 
9 
17 
17 
36 
35 
25 
18 
4 
23 
13 

5 


4 

1 

1 

16 

10 

10 

18 

10 

9 

8 

3 
5 

2 


2 

2 

6 

20 

19 

31 

62 

40 

38 

21 

4 

21 

10 

1 
1 

3 


1 
1 

3 
12 

5 
18 
34 
19 
15 

7 

18 
10 

3 




1 




2 




4 (3-4) 




6 (5-6) 


6 


8 (7-9) 


1 


12 (10-13) 


12 


16 (14-18) 


10 


21 (19-23) 


3 


27 (24-30) 


26 


34 (31-37) 


84 


42 (38-45) 


95 


50 (46-54) 


118 


58 (55-62) 


220 


66 (63-69) 


144 


73 (70-76) 


120 


79 (77-81) 


81 


84 (82-86) 


20 


88 (87-90) 


85 


92 (91-93) 


56 


94 (94-95) 


4 


96 (96-97) 


7 


98 


1 


99 




100 


32 






Total 


190 


205 


206 


97 


281 


146 


1125 






Average 


63.84 


57.65 


66.29 


56.60 


65.94 


65.00 









108 



Id 

10 




— 5Undctrd = 13 Per Cent- ~ 




i 








* ^ 






65 


c 








X. 


fc^.e^ • s / 


4,5 




* 






60 


_ ;C 


















5 6.(o0 




55 






50 


4> 


AcTuql Grades- 
i i t 1 


,i 



; 4A 5A 6A 7A 8A 9A 

O 

Average scores for respective grades in Berkeley for Geography. 
HahnvLackey Scale. 



